Rocks, unhibated planets, and unreachable stars. So much within a galaxy yet a whole lot of nothing. That was essentially the existential nature of space. Today, however, a new unidentified object the size of a castle had suddenly appeared within the endless void. To those who knew, this is the Fortress Of Doom - a space station, one that did not require a traditional engine to allow it to move, using only space-folding technology that required Sentinel Energy to function. And, right now, an unforeseen consequence had just occurred.

The red fluorescent-like lights that illuminated the inside of the floating building had died some few moments ago. Sparks erupted from seemingly random parts of machinery. The words "SYSTEM FAILURE" were displayed in every monitor within it. Standing in front of the mysterious machinery that allowed instant travel to anywhere on earth was a man no shorter than six feet. His drab green armor contrasted greatly against the pristine and metallic grey surroundings. Seconds ago, he had been staring at the object capable of teleporting him to the planet. Instead, he now gazed beyond it and at the place he knew as his home. At least, that's how it should have been. The earth he knew well was still there, but it appeared… different. The tectonic plates were still there, but the shapes were all wrong. There was no resemblance to the previous ones he had seen time and time again from high up on this fortress.

The Doom Slayer knew something had gone wrong.

"You've seen it as well, haven't you?" A robotic voice emanating authority and command asked the rhetorical question. The sound seemed to have come from every direction within the fortress. The brooding man near the center simply stayed silent. As he always had. He glared at the foreign earth more than 200 miles away from him.

"This is… astounding, unbelievable even." The voice - Samuel Hayden's - continued. "The navigation systems clearly show its resemblance to it - our earth. Cities, towns, and other such civilizations sprawling with life. Sentinel technology is truly wondrous…"

There was a brief moment of silence.

"This planet has yet to see an invasion. They are the perfect victims for Hell's forces. This is no coincidence, there is…"

The Slayer shifted in place after realizing that the "good" doctor had suddenly trailed off. That is, until he heard the low chuckling.

"It seems that no matter where you go, there is always a task set out for you. Check the monitor to your right."

The Herculean man did as he was told and looked at the screen that had, at some point, changed visually and now displayed an unfamiliar mapping of what the Slayer assumed to be civilization. What drew his attention the most was the round and large orb of red that damned the location of what he could only assume to be demons.

His rage began to build.

"Interesting…" The once mortal man hummed. The screen in front of the man shifted once more and revealed that the energy sources came from multiple points. Yet, for some reason, they were all bunched up.

"There's more to this than meets the eye. I recommend exercising caution when confronting whatever these signals are."

The machinery responsible for creating portals began whirring and clicking as it came to life once again.

"Remember, we're on our own here. The world no longer regards your legend. But I'm sure that will change soon. What we need is allies. Do try and make some friends."

A bright sea blue wave of energy exploded at the center of the device. The portal was ready for use. The Slayer stared at it for a moment before walking forward in his unwavering stance. He felt a split-second shift in the reality around him. The gentle humming of the fortress was soon replaced by something he wished to see more of.

Life.

Lush green soil surrounded by strong healthy trees going many feet toward the sky. Many and varying flowers all colored to match a rainbow surrounded a statue in the likeness of a fish spouted clean water on a fountain containing nickel and copper coins. The pigeons who had been minding their business in the park seconds ago abandoned the food left behind by an unknown person and fled the area the moment the Slayer arrived in his rather abrupt manner. The tall man watched the birds flee for a few seconds before reminding himself as to why he was here. The demonic sources.

Tires rolled, people walked and talked, dogs barked and played with one another, the sun provided wondrous light, the soft breeze cooled all, and life continued as the Slayer paid no heed to the looks some of the people were currently giving him. Naturally, he ignored them as he walked onwards on the sidewalk straight to his destination. The location was only a few blocks down.

…

"Something wrong?" A masculine voice caught her attention.

Ah, there he was. Her tall, square-jawed, and muscled servant. Her property wore his usual at home outfit. A red collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up near the elbow, a black apron with the words "SATAN" in bolded white that matched his suit pants in color. He held a large plate full of chocolate crepes. Good.

He - the Helltaker - noticed that upon approaching Lucifer, that she had unexpectedly frozen up. She had kept the blank stare at nothing in particular up until he asked that question. This was a behavior of hers that he had never seen come from her before. Ever. He was sure… something was happening with her. At the moment, she wore the same outfit as him save for the white pants and shades he had on.

"It's nothing. Just thinking." Was her dismissive reply, but Helltaker notes it regardless. He didn't want another knife in his shoulder. Maybe he should leave it. For now.

"About?" He offered the plate of crepes to her. She smiled at this action and took two of them. The CEO of hell deserved more than just one after all. This time, however, she had not helped.

"...Just wondering what Beelzebub is up to. You know, after you freed her and all." There was a slight hint of anger underneath that last sentence. Enough that it caused Helltaker to begin to sweat a little and look off to the side. As was his usual habit whenever he grew slightly nervous.

"...Oh." A lame response, but what else could he say? He knew that if he tried apologizing (again) an argument would start once more. And it would end with him injured as it usually would.

"Yeah. Anyway, go give the others their pancakes. But if you want them to be upset with you…"

"I'm on my way." Was his quick and sturdy response. At an impressive speed one could only achieve in fear of their life, Helltaker shot off in search of those who make him both suffer and enjoy his life. It was a vicious cycle. One that he accepted long ago.

"Yo, what's taking so long?" A new voice, one more friendly and mellow engaged Helltaker in conversation. A woman with sunglasses approached the man with a confident grin.

"Here." Helltaker gestured to the plate now missing two crepes.

"Sweet." She - the demon named Justice - took one of them with her fingerless gloves and immediately took a bite. "Everyone else is upstairs by the way."

"I noticed. Do you know why?" The burly man hoped they weren't up to no good.

"Something something green man. I wasn't paying much attention to be honest. But whatever it is, Judgement wanted to fight it." She took another bite of her food.

That didn't sound good. Not good at all. He quickened his pace.

…

"Those are the demons?" Samuel couldn't help but feel more than just incredulous. From the Slayer's perspective he saw the figures of many women through the glass window on the upper floor. And every single one of them stared right back at the green armored man no doubt glaring back. Hayden, in earnest, began to contemplate if something had rendered him unconscious back in the fortress. Maybe this was some sort of dream made by his subconscious? Regardless, the darker-skinned demon at the front of them all gave Doomguy the meanest look.

"They are residents of this home…" The Slayer turned his back to them and began moving around the house in search of a door. "Hm, perhaps we are intruding from their perspective. We must-"

"HE'S MINE!" A zealous voice accompanied the sound of wood and glass shattering.

The Slayer calmly turned his head to look behind himself. He found the ash-colored female manically grinning at him.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN TRESPASS ON OUR DOMAIN AND WALK AWAY WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE?" The woman who had burst from the house unleashed her two weapons - metallic batons strapped her arms - and faced the Slayer.

He fully turned around and faced the woman.

"Try and resolve this peacefully. It seems we've broken this world's laws." Samuel suggested, as always. But if he knew the Doom Slayer…

The man in the armor and the hostile woman began to circle one another. The ex-marine knew at this point that a confrontation was inevitable. His opponent decided to strike first.

Though genuinely surprised, the Slayer's constant angry expression didn't shift when he suddenly found glowing white chains wrapping themselves around his right arm. With astonishing force, the assailant managed to yank him a step forward when she pulled. He decided to use his free hand to grasp the chain binding his arm and began using brute force to try and break it in two. It worked, but he had to put in some real effort to actually do so.

"RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. YOUR END DRAWS NEAR." The woman declared as she leaped into the air, her glowing white eyes shining even further.

From literally out of nowhere, chains rapidly and violently appeared from out of thin air as they attempted to strike and slash at the Slayer. He jumped, ducked, dived, and rolled masterfully as the glowing objects tried their hardest to hit him. Every attack sounded like the roar of thunder as it cracked under every attack. However, his flawless streak quickly ended when two thicker chains burst from the ground and wrapped around his legs. His movement restricted, he watched as the woman came barreling towards him. She landed a mighty blow on the Praetor suit's abdomen. The force of the blow caused a powerful gust of wind to explode, sending grass, flowers, and the spectators reeling back.

The Slayer decided that being passive wasn't working. There was only one way he would get his point across…

The woman's manic expression quickly died when she felt a hand wrap around her throat, though she was still able to breathe easily under the force. Next thing she knew, the man lifted her into the air and pitched her back into the very same window she exited from. The other women watching managed to duck just in time to avoid colliding with her.

…

Helltaker, with Lucifer and Justice following him, raced up the steps leading to the upper floor with the plate of pancakes still within his hands. Once he reached the top, he set his sights on the open bedroom door where the rest of the girls were situated. He also arrived just in time to watch Judgement get thrown across the room and crash on a nice soft bed that was somehow able to take the brunt of that impact.

"What's going on here?" Lucifer was the first to speak as she walked past Helltaker and entered the room.

"Judgement's fighting the green guy standing out there." The woman with a cigarette addiction thumbed behind herself to the backyard.

"PUNISHMENT HAS YET TO BE ENFORCED." Judgment growled as she got off the bed and began marching towards the window.

"Stop. Let me see this." Lucifer commanded the woman who begrudgingly accepted the order.

"Pancakes." Helltaker simply said as he approached the wooden desk next to the bed and set the plate down on it.

"About time." The smoker - Zdrada - took one for herself.

"Yay!" A trio of women known as Cerberus each retrieved one for themselves.

"Could still use some coffee…" A fatigued secretary named Pandemonica lazily took one for herself.

"Thank you." A black haired angel called Azazel grabbed one as well.

The Helltaker received gratitude from a few of them as he walked past the women so that he may see just exactly who this green person is. When he approached Lucifer, he finally saw what the others had been speaking of. A heavily muscled man standing around the same height as him looked up at the now shattered window.

"It seems we got off on the wrong foot." A robotic voice stated. "We did not come here searching for a fight.

"We? But there's only one of you." Helltaker noted it aloud.

"Who are you? Speak." Lucifer demanded shortly after his sentence.

"I am Doctor Samuel Hayden. Like I said: We do not come with ill-intentions, I simply wish to speak with you. Both of you."

"About what exactly?" Helltaker spoke.

"...Private matters. Matters that should not be heard by neighbors."

The Slayer looked around himself and noticed that they had the attention of nearby neighbors. He stuck out like a sore green thumb.

"Judgement." Lucifer turned to look at the woman enjoying her crepes with the rest of the family. "Who attacked first?"

"...I did." She admitted, almost mumbling in the process as she looked away.

"Hm." Lucifer focused her attention on the Slayer. "Then that clears it all up. Helltaker, let them in." She dismissed with a wave of her hand.

"This is my home, don't I get a say?" The man with the shades mumbled as he walked away from the window. "I have to fix that window too…"

"Helltaker…" Hayden said aloud only to the internal speakers in Slayer's suit. "An interesting name. I'm sure there's a story behind it."

The Slayer said nothing and began making his way to the front door.

...

The Unchained Predator pressed the doorbell with his index finger. The soft ding-dong echoed throughout the house. Seconds later, the same man with a frame similar to the Doom Slayer's opened the door. They stared at one another awkwardly. At least that's how everyone else would have seen it. Doomguy had no time to worry about social interactions thus he cared barely at all.

"Come in. There's leftover pancakes if you want some." He stepped aside and let the Slayer through.

Doomguy nodded in response and walked on in with his usual stride full of murderous intent. Though, he himself never noticed this.

"Thank you for the hospitality. We truly appreciate it. I'm willing to take responsibility for the property damage." Samuel spoke up.

"Unnecessary, it wasn't your fault."

The Slayer walked in and quickly took in his surroundings, the short hallway that led into the rest of the house had a dark navy blue carpet and a large closet in the corner to his right that contained what he could only assume to be an assortment of clothing. Nothing else stood out to him as he went onwards. As he stepped into the main area and turned to his right, he got to see the rest of the bottom floor.

He was quick to notice the white pentagram on the blue rug near the stairs. So far, it was the only oddity in the entire home. Everything else looked normal. A living room with a tv, large table, chairs, couches. He could see a little bit of the kitchen from where he stood. It was kind of small in all honesty, but this was just the bottom floor. He was sure the second floor had more room for the rest of the inhabitants.

He glanced behind himself and noticed the people who had been watching him fight poked their heads out from the top of the stairs. He disregarded it and came face to face with the woman who he assumed to bear the role of leader. She stood near the entrance to the kitchen and eyed the Slayer with a neutral yet questioning look. She didn't seem too pleased with him.

"Well? Out with it." She ordered.

"...Let me begin by apologizing for disrupting your day. It was not our intention to have things proceed as they did. We-"

"Skip the formalities and get to the point." Her patience began to grow thin.

Helltaker remembered why she was the CEO of Hell in the first place. If she had taken that sort of tone with him… he'd be sweating bullets. He was sure the man in front of him would die if he said the wrong thing.

"As you wish…" Hayden formulated his next sentence for a moment. "I am Dr. Samuel Hayden and the man in the armor is The Doom Slayer."

"Wait, so the guy in the armor isn't the one talking?" The woman wearing sunglasses asked.

"That is correct." He paused. "Are you aware that you and your associates exude a demonic energy traceable with… certain equipment?"

"I was not."

"The readings are unmistakable. You're what we were looking for. Demons."

"So that's what this is? You're looking to start a harem as well?"

The last sentence threw the usually composed man in for a loop.

"A harem…? What a ridiculous notion. We-"

"We're not interested. We like it here."

Helltaker couldn't help but grin at that sentence. Everything he had done up to this point had been well worth it. Is this what true happiness is?

"We're here to kill demons."

That sentence turned his smile upside down. Lucifer's neutral impatience quickly transformed into a menacing scowl.

"Do not mistake that for yourselves. You are all… something else entirely and pose no threat to all of mankind. For now."

"So you came here to threaten us. Making sure we're on our best behavior?" She seemed amused with the idea.

"We seek to the end the slaves of Doom. You are clearly not affiliated and I care not for your morals."

Lucifer stayed silent but kept her glare on the Slayer who most certainly didn't deserve it. Not that he cared mind you.

"Have there been any incidents? Attacks on cities? Towns? Civilization in general?"

"By demons? No. By other people? Yes." Helltaker answered for Lucifer.

"Oh, but that will change soon." A new voice added.

Doomguy was the first to whip his head to the ceiling above himself the moment he heard someone else talk. Through the ceiling, a woman with freckles, white hair, black horns and red eyes looked straight at him. He glanced at her smile for a moment. Her head stuck out through a small and blackened purple portal. She looked at the rest of the people upside down.

"Beel? So you've finally come back." Lucifer crossed her arms at the sight of this woman who had appeared from out

"Hey, Lucy. Hey, Hellwalker." The woman now known to him as 'Beel' gazed into his visor after saying that last part.

That was a red flag for the Slayer. He didn't know this woman. At least, that's what he believed. There was a good chance he forgot many things during those countless eons in hell.

"You know this man?" Lucy gestured towards the silent one.

"And you don't? Ah, perhaps you've gone senile. Has age finally caught up to you?" Beel focused on the CEO.

"You didn't answer my question."

"Why yes, I know him very well." Beel turned to look at the Slayer. "They tell many stories about you. The mere mention of your title incites fear. It's impressive really. You do remember me, right?"

"Is there a point to your visit? Or are you going to stand there blabbering about nothing?"

"There is a point actually. I just came here to tell you something." She addressed the Slayer specifically. "Thanks to whatever it is you did in your own world, I was able to siphon some of the lingering… what did you call it?"

Silence from everyone.

"I remember now! Argent Energy, right?"

Samuel nearly exploded at the mention of this energy source. "You play with things you do not understand. If you still have some of that power-"

"Unfortunately, I used up all of it bringing you here. But…" She paused dramatically. "There will be more if you don't stop them."

"Stop who?" Helltaker was beginning to take this more seriously.

"The creatures, the foreign demons bent on total domination. The servants of Doom."

"So they do have influence here..." Samuel mused aloud. "How do you know this?"

"Because, unlike Lucy, I've been busy here in the mortal realm. There are a lot of humans doing strange rituals and other things I've never seen before."

"That does not explain-"

"Anyway, to end this little encounter of ours, demons from another world are coming. At some point. Don't know when, but they have set their sights on this world."

"You've been warned." She added cheerfully and ducked back into her portal which promptly sealed itself up before vanishing into nothingness.

Nobody said a word for a while. A lot of information had just been unloaded on all of them. It took Hayden only a few seconds to make use of it.

"You must head back to the fortress. If what that woman said is true… then we must make an effort to search for more energy signatures in order to prevent a full scale invasion from taking place." A second passed. "I'm making the portal now."

True to his word, a bright blue gate leading to the Fortress Of Doom appeared at the center of the blue rug. The Slayer took one step forward.

"Wait."

But stopped when a large hand placed itself on his shoulder. He turned around to find Helltaker looking through the visor and right at him. It was apparent that the man in the apron was serious.

"These other demons… they destroy everything right?"

"That is correct." Hayden answered.

"Why?"

"It is their nature. Their appetite for domination and destruction is limitless."

"Then let me help."

The Slayer turned his body to face Helltaker, brushing off the hand in the process.

"You wish to lend your aid?"

"That's what I said."

"It will not be easy."

"Nothing like this is."

Samuel hummed in thought.

"Very well. If anything significant is discovered I will notify you."

"But there's a problem."

Hayden suppressed a sigh upon hearing these words. In truth, he didn't believe in the slightest that this man could be of any help.

"...The issue being?"

"I have things to take care of. Tasks that need doing. I can't finish it and watch them at the same time." He gestured to the demon girls.

"Could you keep an eye on them for the rest of the day?"

"We're not children, Helltaker." Lucifer spoke.

Hayden scoffed. "And we are not babysitters. I doubt-"

The Doom Slayer nodded before he extended his arm towards his newfound ally. Helltaker smiled before doing the same and interlocking hands with him. The two chads shook on it. The Slayer knew when he met a capable man.

"This is absurd!"

Doomguy ignored the robot's voice.

"It's settled then." Helltaker released his grip and let his arm hang like it normally did. "This is what you need to know…"

…

First impressions are always important. They make or break what could have been long-lasting relationships. It is even more crucial when it comes to business related ones. And this could be considered just that. When the Slayer went head-to-head with one of their strongest members, it certainly set a precedence for his power. Which is why some of them were either slightly or very intimidated by the new man acting as their temporary guardian.

None of them felt this fear more than Cerberus.

Perhaps it had something to do with her canine side, but she knew that this man was a lot more dangerous than the others perceived. She had no substantial proof, but her instincts told her that this was someone you did not want to mess with. Yet everyone else didn't seem bothered at all! And that scared her. She truly feared him. And she hoped none of them ended up a bloody pulp by the end of this.

The triplets were the last to shimmy down the stairs to meet the substitute Helltaker and the last to catch his attention. Though the visor made it difficult, she didn't fail to catch the hateful glare coming through from it. The trio walked down the stairs the most nervous and sweaty they had ever been. This was worse than the time they had police show up at the front door. She didn't dare look away from the ground as she passed the man staring intently at her.

But she wasn't the only one nervous around the sour marine. Azazel, the angel "studying" the demons didn't appear too pleased with the arrival of this man. The reason being that the man reminded her of the superior officer up above in the clouds. In fact, she had initially assumed that he had been sent by her as well. It was honestly a small relief. What wasn't a relief was the fact that he obviously bore some intense hate for demon kind itself. It practically radiated off of him. She wondered how exactly this would play out for them all.

The Slayer himself had decided that keeping watch at the center of the living room would be the best method. He didn't know what awaited him in the coming hours, but he felt that it shouldn't pose much of a problem. Babysitting nine women was insanely easier than having to fight multiple titans. Right?

"I don't know what Helltaker was thinking leaving this statue here."

Doomguy spared a glance at Lucifer who had said this. It was at this point that he had been informed by Helltaker who exactly they all were and what some of them required at certain points of the day. He was also told about some certain ground rules the man had set for them. He was taking this very seriously.

"You guys still haven't told me what he looks like." The Slayer focused on the woman who said this - the demon with sunglasses on. Justice is her name if he remembered correctly. "All I know is that he's wearing something green."

"Green sci-fi looking armor if you really want to know." The babysitter moved his eyes to look at the woman with facial piercings. Zdrada. "Hey, Malinka, look he's scowling just like you. Maybe you'll hit it off."

"Will you shut up?" The Marine glanced at the frowning one. Her annoyance at her sibling was obvious.

"Nah. Even though we left hell, you still spend all that time of yours on games."

Doomguy turned his head to look at the flatscreen tv placed on top of a large wooden table. There he noticed what he assumed to be a gaming setup. The object itself was very unfamiliar to him however. He didn't recognize any of the markings on it that indicated whatever company it came from.

"See? He likes nerd stuff too. Go over there and try to make nice."

The sister only responded with an exacerbated growl.

"Modeus, I would advise against that." A tired looking demon - Pandemonica - looked beyond the Slayer and at the heart-eyed demon gazing at a particular area on the Slayer's body.

Doomguy turned his head and found her reaching for his exposed bicep.

"So big. I wonder what else is." Her eyes roamed the area around his crotch.

He moved his arm away from the demon that he quickly deemed stranger than the others and took a couple of steps back. He would need to keep an eye on this one since she insisted on getting closer. A surprise attack maybe?

"Pfffft, Hahah! You just got rejected!" Zdrada closed her eyes as she laughed and reeled her head back.

"Dang. That's a first. You just made history." Justice looked genuinely in awe.

"Rejected…" The lusting demon repeated the word as if it was recently added to the English vocabulary. She didn't appear to be upset though.

"OUR BATTLE HAS YET TO FINISH. YOUR RAGE, YOUR HATE, THEY EMPOWER MY CHAINS. OUR NEXT BATTLE WILL HAVE A CONCLUSION." The white-eyed demon that he now knew as Judgement pointed her clawed finger in an accusatory manner.

"Judgement, save it for later." Lucifer issued a command.

The demon only responded by turning, crossing her arms, closing her eyes, and walking away from the group.

The Slayer watched her walk away. If she wished to do battle then he would give it to her. But right now is not the time for such things.

"I hope you realize what's expected of you." Lucifer wore a strangely smug smile. "I doubt you'll live to the end of this day. Regardless, it will be amusing." She walked away as well with the others doing the same. Except for one.

"Ah, don't listen to her. We certainly don't."

Justice grinned as she earned a sharp but flushed glare from the woman. "You'll be fine."

Silence.

"I just realized, you haven't said a word. Can you talk?"

The Slayer nodded.

"So why don't you?"

Silence.

"Hmm. I'll have to ask yes and no questions then?"

More awkward silence.

"You're name's Hellwalker, do you and Helltaker know each other?"

The Slayer shook his head. Justice let out a hum. She imagined there was a chance they might have been related. They are kind of similar.

"So, your armor, is green your favorite color?"

A simple nod. It was true. The Sentinel Training armor and the Marine Uniform were proof of this. He had complete control on the color scheme. He could have gone with red, black, or yellow like some of the others did. When it came to the Marine Uniform that is.

"If I were you, I'd start with Malina over there. You both like games right?" She pointed to the demon girl sitting on the couch, a laptop on the table with what he assumed to be a video game open. Oh and she had a bottle of alcohol next to it as well. And that actually irked him. He had his own gaming setup back at the fortress and any containers holding liquids near it would be removed with extreme prejudice. "But she's more into turn-based strategies. Anyway, from there, I'd start to mingle with the others."

The Slayer nodded. A rare moment of gratitude came from him when he gave the friendly demon a thumbs up. It was a gesture she happily returned. The Slayer turned away from Justice and sought to do just that. Having allies - no - friends to aid him in his quest to murder all that wanted all of mankind dead.

"Before you go, that friend of yours said you came to kill demons…"

Silence from the marine.

"They look anything like us?"

He shook his head. They weren't this friendly either. If that was even a thing with those demons. The Slayer never met a servant of Doom that treated another with respect. Except...

"Well, don't let me keep you any longer." Justice suddenly approached the Slayer and took hold of his shoulders. Much to his surprise, the lean girl was able to effectively spin him and lightly push him forward towards the girl sitting by herself. He didn't stop the momentum and continued onwards and left Justice alone.

…

Malina wasn't happy. But that wasn't unusual for her. True to her namesake she was feeling quite sour and it was for many reasons. The main one being that Helltaker had suddenly up and left them all here with the silent idiot who seemed very socially inept. Speaking of which…

She turned her head and, lo and behold, there he was walking her way. Great. Couldn't he see that she was busy right now? She needed something to help her pass the oncoming event with as little as pain as possible. She reached for the alcohol next to the laptop and undid the top and swiftly placed it on her lips and began downing the burning liquid as if her life depended on it. She was halfway through the bottle before the Slayer reached her.

Doomguy ignored the woman drinking her sorrows away and focused on the laptop laying on the wooden table. Without even asking for permission, he grabbed the laptop suddenly but carefully by the screen before placing it flat on the palm of his other hand.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

He ignored her initial protests and flipped the object so the back of the screen faced him. He read: Hellpad 2001. Even more curious than before, he flipped the device so the opposite side of where the keyboard went faced him. A brief look at the tags underneath confirmed what he had been thinking. This place is a dated piece of machinery with tech he was sure was only just advancing. His own rig back at the command center left this in the dust. It was ancient.

"I swear, if you don't give that back-"

The Slayer decided to place the machine back on the table. He set it down so that it faced the annoyed woman.

"Now that is interesting…" A voice not belonging to the Slayer suddenly spoke up. "Is this the most advanced and commercially available laptop?"

"And what if it is?"

A synthesized sigh escaped from Samuel.

"Forget I asked. A quick search on your Web tells me what I need to know." A hum of thought. "If this is the case, then that means this planet has yet to have an energy crisis. Which means-"

"I don't care about whatever it is you're talking about."

"Is that so? Your planet is heading for utter destruction and here you sit wasting your life away on a meaningless device. Perhaps if you weren't so ignorant to-"

The Slayer tilted his head and placed his finger underneath his helmet. The moment he had done so, Hayden had gone utterly silent. Though it was only on the outside. He could still hear Samuel fine. And the doctor didn't seem amused with the action.

Malina looked even more pissed off than she was before. However, some of her anger melted away when she noticed the Slayer held his fingers horizontally with the thumb underneath. He then pressed them together repeatedly and tilted his left and right quickly. Blah blah blah. It was clear he was mocking Hayden.

"Ah, excuse, me." The Slayer stopped this action and turned around to face the one who had spoken. Two red and tired eyes looked at him through transparent lenses. "Not to be a bother, but it's usually at this time that Helltaker begins to brew my coffee. Would you mind?"

The Slayer noted her politeness. It made it that much easier for him to nod his head twice and begin to make his way to the kitchen. Helltaker had told him about this. Though the woman seemed normal compared to the others, it turned out she was picky when it came to her coffee. However, she was always mixing it up for the man. Espresso, Double Espresso, Red Eye, Black Eye, Americano, Long Black, Machiatto, Long Macchiato, it went on and on. Helltaker always needed to be on his toes. Otherwise he would find a few of his fingers broken.

"A Cafe au Lait, if you would."

The Slayer had no clue what that was. He guessed it was a certain style of coffee. He wasn't exactly a coffee enthusiast. As if sensing his cluelessness, Hayden quickly began telling instructions on how to make what Pandemonica wanted.

"Grab the French Press." Doomguy didn't miss the defeated and disapproving dad tone Hayden took with him.

The Slayer looked around and found the object next to the microwave. He grabbed it and placed it on the part of the kitchen counter that had more space. He knew he was going to need it.

"Grab a mug. Preferably a 12 oz."

He looked at the cabinets above the kitchen sink and began looking through them in search of the best cup. He stopped his search when he came across a whole row of coffee mugs all with the label 'PANDEMONICA' on all of them in bold red.

"Convenient." Was all Samuel had to say.

He thanked Helltaker internally and grabbed one of them at random.

"Now, the coffee powder itself."

It didn't take the Slayer long to find a container containing the most essential ingredient to this.

"You'll need 5 oz. of hot - not boiling - water. I trust you know how to do the rest."

The armored man said nothing and set to work. He first grabbed the objects plunger and pulled it out. He then dumped 6 grams of coffee within. Using the mug he had withdrawn from the specific cabinet, he approached the fridge with the built in water filter and pressed it against the transparent object that allowed the water to fall. After gathering the appropriate amount, he extended the mug away and in front of himself like it had offended him somehow. He gestured to Pandemonica, who had been watching this whole time, to step back. She did as she was asked. Next thing the demon girl knew, the shoulder-mounted device activated and spewed a small flame that covered a majority of the mug. It did this for only two seconds before it ceased and disappeared back into the Slayer's shoulder.

"That is not its intended use." Samuel informed him.

He ignored the doctor and poured the contents of the cup into the french press. After doing so, he went to a random kitchen drawer in search of a spoon. He found one and proceeded to use it to gently stir the contents within. Once he had decided that it had been enough he grabbed the plunger again and set it just above the water. Steadily and slowly, he pressed down on the plunger. It had been done.

"Now pour that into a cup of scalding milk. 5 oz as well."

The Slayer remained silent as he opened the fridge and retrieved a gallon milk that was more than half-empty. He poured the white liquid into the Pandemonica cup and raised the mug in front of himself again. The shoulder device sprang forth once again and unleashed a tamer version of its flame belch.

Hayden let out a sigh.

The marine just needed to do one more thing. He mixed the french press into the scalding milk and stirred it with the same spoon he had used earlier. Objective complete. He took the mug in one and turned to look at the demon lady. She happily accepted it and raised it to her lips. She took a few generous gulps, a genuine smile forming on her face.

"Mm. This is perfect." A malicious grin abruptly

appeared on her face. "And here I thought you would hand me something inadequate." The Slayer noticed that her iris had shrunken into something more thin, rectangular and devilishly sharp. "I had hoped you would fail. I wanted to see what kind of noises a silent man like you would make."

It turned out she wasn't so polite after all. The Slayer said nothing but gave her the usual glare as he walked past her. It only made her smile more. He severed the eye contact and went back to the living room. He stood at the center and kept his ever vigilant eye on the women he had been tasked to keep overwatch on.

…

Helltaker had never felt so much relief. Hellwalker's sudden appearance had been a blessing in disguise. Don't get him wrong, he loved spending time with his rowdy roommates. Even if they hurt him both emotionally and physically on occasion. But even he needed a break once in a while. Though he felt a little bad about it. He had lied about needing to get things done. He would help the Slayer but he needed to wind down first and get some much needed rest.

And it started by visiting his local pub. How else was one to wind down without using any of his vices. He believed that a drink could cure any woe (temporarily). The building he entered wasn't too remarkable. Drab, old, and wide but always rowdy. The extent of service didn't start within but outside as well. Many chairs and tables matching the color scheme of 'Telly's Fine Ales' - the pub's name. Helltaker knew a few people he regarded as his drinking buddies, but he hadn't seen them in weeks thanks to how full his hands had been with his new companions. It's a shame the demon harem didn't quite work out. But he was in good company. Life couldn't be better.

He took three steps forward towards the main entrance before a fly suddenly zoomed past his right ear. He initially had the urge to raise his right hand to try and slap it away from himself but didn't bother after its departure. However, that changed when it looped back around to him and assaulted his left ear. Helltaker couldn't help but slightly cringe and swat it away. Imagine his surprise when he looked in the same direction the fly had come from and found a particular demon girl.

Beelzebub sat alone on one of the round tables and waved at him. She still wore the same outfit she put on the day of their encounter. He still wondered how he managed to escape that void in the first place…

He blinked underneath his shades and approached the demon. He sat down across from and assumed his usual composed self. Of course, this stoic look quickly broke when things got out of hand with the others.

"Quite a coincidence, meeting you here." She broke the silence.

"Is it really?" He responded casually.

Beel giggled. "No, that was a lie."

Helltaker shifted in his seat. "You frequent this bar?"

"Not at all. That's something YOU usually do, no?"

"Right. So, what did you want?"

"Ah, straight to the point! You see, I'm in need of assistance. Particularly from you and Hellwalker who, by the way, is doing a splendid job with those roommates of yours. It's too bad we can't get along anymore. You mess up ONCE…"

"You still never told me what happened."

She dismissively waved. "A story for another time." She paused for a moment. "Anyway, remember those other demons the Hellwalker is looking for?"

Helltaker nodded twice. "I do."

"Well, I may have just found a way to access a domain of theirs specifically tied to this planet."

Helltaker slightly parted his mouth and-

"And don't ask how. That's a secret I'll be keeping for myself at the moment."

Closed it upon hearing her words. Though he still wanted to ask one thing.

"Why did you not bring this up earlier?"

"Because I only just figured it out. Turns out I lied to everyone. Including myself."

"Would you care to explain?"

"I realized I still had a bit of Argent Energy stored up. Being the all-powerful and ancient being I am, I can create a one-way portal to their hell." The Fly Queen crossed her legs and propped her elbow on the table that she used to lean her face on. "Besides, I doubt that your new friend trusts me. I'd only earn more hateful glares from him."

"How do you even know him anyway?"

Beel only gave a wry smile.

"Right. You won't tell me… I don't think Hellwalker trusts me as much as you might think."

Beelzebub hummed. "At the moment, yes, you may be right." A mischievous smile formed on her face. "Which is why you'll have to earn it."

Helltaker didn't even get a chance to react, the world around him had shifted and distorted in his vision. Gravity soon ceased to exist and he felt himself floating. This only lasted a few fleeting moments before his vision exploded back into their normal state.

But the landscape around him had changed terribly. Everything was on fire. He looked down at himself and at the burgundy floor he stood on. This certainly reminded him of the Hell he personally knew. But this time, something felt different. The atmosphere just felt much more… oppressive. Like the air itself wished you would suffocate. He looked around himself and tried to make sense of the broken and crooked structures threatening to collapse at any moment. He turned around and found something spectacular.

In the river of flowing and popping lava stood a giant metal behemoth. Near said behemoth lay another that equaled it in size. This one in particular was certainly demonic if the giant sharp teeth, horns, and spikes all over its body were any indication. It's mouth lay agape and it's eyes were long dead. But all you had to do was look at the enormous axe embedded onto the monster's head to know that it had long since died.

His curiosity, however, soon died when he heard what he believed to be the combination of a screech and low but loud growl. He turned around and saw what would be the first of many Imps. Humanoid in shape, this creature stayed in a hunched position as it vaulted over a fallen pillar and rushed Helltaker. He quickly realized what was happening and went into combat mode. He stood his ground and balled up his fists while raising his arms. The Imp let out a war cry as it raised his left arm for the first swipe. With his quick reflexes, Helltaker dodged the attack almost effortlessly and delivered a swift and brutal counter. Before the demon could even know, it's head had rotated to much for its own good. One well placed right hook was all it took to snap the monster's neck. Every muscle on the now dead body ceased to function, causing it to go limp and fall backwards.

That had gone better than he expected. He took this time to actually study what had mercilessly attacked him. Dark purple and fiery orange is what it's color scheme consisted of. He noted the three pronged claws and spikes on its shoulders and back. It's teeth were surprisingly white and very sharp looking. He wondered if they received some sort of superior dental hygiene or if it was one of the perks of being a demon. He would have to ask one of the girls.

He stopped studying the demon and looked around himself some more. In the distance, he could make out the round shape of what looked like giant flying meatballs. Around them were a few winged creatures going their own way. No doubt he would at some point have to face them. He looked back at the gargantuan sci fi suit. Maybe he would find someone or something useful within. Wherever he landed, there didn't seem to be a whole lot of activity going on. But he knew that wouldn't last long. He nodded to himself. With an objective in mind he initiated his jog and began making his way to the two brobdingnagians.

He didn't realize just how wrecked and inhospitable this place was. If Lucifer saw just how unclean and unsanitary it appeared she might have blown a gasket. Seriously, who just leaves corpses rotting in pikes? Who just leaves them on the floor to decay? Why is there so much unchecked lava? Why were there so many platforms and geysers of lava constantly spewing? These were questions he wouldn't have answered. But what he did know is that this Hell of theirs needed a serious makeover.

When Helltaker was within spitting distance to the mech, he leapt into the air and took hold of the metal jutted out from its leg. Without hesitating, he leapt from piece to piece at an impressive pace without slowing down. Once he made it to the top, he found what looked to be a hatch of sorts. He guessed this where the pilot of this machine would enter and exit when need be. Luckily for him, it was already open. He slowly peered into it and found it almost empty. Almost.

At the very end of the now defunct interior, sat a barren skeleton in the strangest looking armor he had seen. White and black in color, it reminded Helltaker of Knight Templars from way back then. The helmet they had been wearing lay next to the corpse. He guessed this to be the one who operated this giant mech. He wondered what exactly happened for this person to end up this way. Had the creatures outside somehow managed to get inside and kill them? This was an interesting find to be sure, but it also worried Helltaker a bit. It had only dawned on him now that he just might have to face those giant demons at some point. Hopefully he'd find a way out of this Hell soon. Don't get him wrong, he certainly wasn't scared, but he was putting his life on the line for no reason. He didn't wish to die for nothing.

It was seconds later when he once more heard the war cries of multiple demons. He looked away from the dead warrior and behind himself. An Imp, with the same appearance as the one he had fought previously, poked its head into the mech and howled upon laying its smoldering eyes on him. Not wasting a second, Helltaker rushed forward and raised his leg into the air. His foot collided with the fiend's head and neck hard enough to remove it entirely from the rest of the body. The force alone was enough to do that and crush it like a watermelon. The Imp twitched for a moment before it slid away and fell onto the hellish stone. The sharply dressed man exited the mech once more and stood near the machine's dulled green neck. He could hear the rest of the Imps climbing their way up to him.

He clenched his fists once more and furrowed his brows in anticipation. They came all at once and in every direction. He knew an injury, especially in higher packs likes this, would eventually happen. He just never expected to come from above. Right before the others had reached him, he felt one of the worst searing pains of his life. It didn't compare to the time Judgment had done just that to him, but it was still one of the worst pains he had ever experienced. But the adrenaline rushing through him almost immediately lessened it. He glanced at the Imp who had hurt him so and promised it a world of hurt.

He leapt forward before they did, an action which caught the first demon off-guard. Helltaker delivered a devastating haymaker powerful enough to blow its head off clean. He didn't get a chance to revel in his attack as multiple balls of fire went straight for him. Unlike the first one that had hit his back, he managed to dodge all of the spheres at once without much issue. Quick sidesteps and ducking was all that he needed to do. Evading swipes from the others rushing him wasn't such a simple matter. He grimaced and bared his teeth as fee claws managed to touch him. Though this was an acceptable performance. For every missed and successful attack he countered back with more power and ferocity. Arms broke, legs gave in, and necks snapped as Helltaker showed these creatures no mercy. It was at this moment that he realized just how long it had been since he had gotten into a life and death battle like this. It invigorated his spirit. Just like it did back with those bodyguards Lucifer used. He had never so alive.

But it all came to an end. After all was said and done. Blood, limbs, and gore littered the ground around Helltaker. And he was ready for more. The seemingly endless horde of imps had taken him nearly four to dispose of. Yet it felt as if it had only been only a quarter of that. He inhaled deeply in and out and looked down at himself. He was certainly bloody, but almost all of it wasn't his. There was nothing his bare fists couldn't solve.

He looked around himself and noticed the flying and ball-shaped creatures coming his way. And they looked very hungry.

"Sweet Christmas! Big-mouthed floating thingies! It's always something."

…

"It has begun." The Slayer became more rigid upon hearing the voice within his helmet. "I have detected a surge of hell energy about one kilometer from you." His visor soon I informed him of where he needed to be. "Put me back on speaker. It seems their caretaker disappeared alongside it." The marine did as he was told.

"I have information you all will want to hear." Hayden suddenly declared as loud as possible.

All heads turned to look at Doomguy, all at varying speeds, though it was Lucifer who had reacted the fastest.

"Great. You're letting him talk again?" Malina directed her rhetorical question to the Slayer.

Samuel ignored the comment. "Helltaker is in need of assistance. Just now a powerful wave of hell's energy made itself known. There are two signals, one more faint than the other. The weaker wave subsequently disappeared alongside the hell energy. I believe your friend has crossed the boundary."

"Helltaker has been to hell and back. I'm sure he can do it again." Lucifer stated confidently. "That fool has the willpower to see it through."

"You have not seen their hell. Words cannot do their realm justice. It is a landscape built on the foundation of corpses, suffering, exploitation. Your colleague is in more trouble than you realize."

"Even if Helltaker can make it through, we should help him out. It's getting pretty boring without him here anyway. No offense." Justice was the first to step up.

"Hearing the anguished squeals of invasive demons is a pleasure I'll happily partake in." Pandemonica was on board.

"I could use some more notes on demonology…" The angel - Azazel - muttered to herself.

"THESE INTERLOPERS WILL NOT SET FOOT ON OUR DIMENSION." Judgment joined in.

"Hey, if you guys are going, I'm in too." She pulled out a cigarette from seemingly out of nowhere. "Whether you like it or not."

Hellwalker heard someone release what sounded like a mix of a growl and a sigh. "That dumbass just had to go and make things more complicated. Fine, I'm coming too." Malina got up from the couch and slammed the screen down. She's in.

"I wonder what kind of kinky things those other demons get down to there..." Modeus walked up to the almost complete group.

Only Cerberus and Lucifer were left. And both of them seemed apprehensive but for different reasons. Cerberus herself (or themselves) couldn't quite look at the Doom Slayer in the eye. Her behavior around the marine hadn't gone unnoticed.

"What's the matter, Cerberus?" Lucifer was the one who called it out. She spared a glance at the man in the room. "Has it something to do with him?"

The trio of women nodded in perfect unison. "...He's scary."

Justice was the first to react to this. "This guy?" She thumbed to the Slayer. "I bet he's a teddy bear underneath that scowl of his. Isn't that right?" She turned to face the Slayer who, of course, said nothing.

"Time is of the essence, Slayer. We must hurry or the energy might dissipate without warning."

Upon hearing Samuel's words, Doomguy turned his back to the others and began making his way to the front door.

"Let's get going then." He heard Justice call out from behind him. Soon after, the sound of multiple footsteps following behind him assured the marine that they were joining him on this mission. He hoped that Helltaker was currently handling himself well in that endless domain of hell. He needed to be quick. The demons had the advantage in limitless numbers, he knew the man couldn't hold himself there for too long. His internal thoughts were interrupted by the leader of the group - Lucifer. She walked alongside him and began to speak.

"If I really must…" She said to herself aloud and began adjusting her clothing. The apron she had on before was replaced with a black buttoned up suit and black tie. "If those demons intend to steal my property, then they've just signed their death warrant."

"Property?" Samuel seemed amused. "I was under the impression that Helltaker served as the caretaker."

"She just doesn't want to admit that she's friends with him." Zdrada casually said as she blew some smoke out from her mouth.

"You-" Lucifer began but was cut off by Justice.

"Ah, come on, Boss. Everyone knows. Even Helltaker."

The CEO's face began to resemble the coloring of a tomato more and more as time passed. The appearance she had tried to present to the newcomer had effectively shattered within hours. She tried her damndest to try and pick up whatever semblance of respect she had left but let it all fall when the Slayer gave her sideways look. He was trying to figure her out.

"Ms. Azazel." Samuel called out to the angel who raised her eyebrows in surprise when she had been called out.

"Yes..." She quickly recalled the introduction from today. "Dr. Hayden?"

"I have many questions about yourself and where you're from. I have yet to get the opportunity to do so. When our business is concluded, may I request that we have a moment to speak?"

"Of course! I would be happy to help."

"Excellent. I appreciate your cooperation."

"Are you an actual doctor? Or is that some bullshit title they gave to you?" Malina asked.

"All those with doctorates are "real doctors" not just medical practitioners. They all deserve just as much respect." Hayden defended his title.

"So you're not an actual doctor then. Got it."

An exasperated sigh came from Hayden. Out of all of the demons, Malina certainly irked him the most. He didn't feel like continuing a conversation with her. He was sure anything he said would fall on deaf ears.

"Hey, Hellwalker." Doomguy turned his head but continued his walk. He focused his sight on the most scantily dressed woman - Judgement.

"After your friend is done talking with Azazel, we'll finish what we started." She quickly struck a pose, grinning wildly and wrapped her signature chains around her body. "My chains break even the strongest wills. There will be no forgiveness. Only punishment."

The Slayer kept his leveled gaze at the woman and nodded in response. He wanted to see what these "demons" were capable of here. Should any of their type go rouge, he would know what to expect and prepare for. It would do no good fighting near innocents. Having them in the line of fire most certainly didn't sit well with him. He would need to find a suitable location. The backyard didn't work so well last time.

"So, these demons, what exactly are they like?" Azazel inquired. It was her job after all to engage in demonology.

"For now, I believe combat knowledge of our foes is necessary. In general, all servants of Doom will attack you on sight without provocation. Their thirst for violence even extends to their own kind. They will fight one another if the opportunity arises."

"Interesting…" Azazel quickly revealed her notepad and began writing into it. "Please continue."

"Despite all the infighting, they will work with one another to great effect so that they may kill you and capture your soul. They are efficient and merciless. Fighting a perfectly coordinated and endless army is borderline impossible."

He continued.

"Nearly every demon encountered, save for fodder and special exceptions, has the ability to throw projectiles at you. Whether they use hells energy to throw fireballs or sentient flaming skulls, they have the power to do so. From close quarters to long range, they excel at all forms of combat." He paused. "They are death. They bring about the destruction of all forms of life. Nothing is safe."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"That won't happen here." Lucifer confidently stated. "As Queen of Hell, I hereby order all those under my employ to remove these pests from our dimension."

"I'm in. You know I don't miss a party." Justice gave a big grin alongside a thumbs up.

"I finally get to use my sledgehammer." Modeus realized and drew said weapon. It had bloodstains. Mostly on the head of it.

"Whatever gets me to play Heroes 3 quicker." Malina agreed.

"If Malinka's in, I'm coming too." Zdrada took a long drag from her cig and blew the smoke into her sister's face. Malina did what was only natural and roughly shoved Zdrada's face away which caused her sister to laugh mischievously.

Pandemonica only responded with a truly cruel and sharp smile that promised pain.

"THEIR SINS WILL NOT GO UNPUNISHED."

"We get to visit someone else's hell~" Cerberus sang together as the trio huddled up and danced with one another.

At the sight of her team and friends uniting under her command, Lucifer produced a smug yet proud smile. Her walk transformed into one more assertive and collected. She advanced beyond Hellwalker and began leading the way. She could feel hell energy much more easily the closer she got to it.

The Doom Slayer slowed down his walk and watched them all readily marching into the nightmarish landscape. How long had it been since he had allies alongside him to combat hell's forces? He remembered them - Lord Sash, Roan the Mighty, Gor the Relentless - They were the closest thing he had to friends. They were the ones who decided to accompany him on his final mission. And they died because of it. He clenched his trembling fists and began to grow furious (more than he already was). They were about to pay.

It took them no more than half a minute to arrive at their destination. A bar so it seemed. Whatever happened on the outside didn't seem to be anything good. Knocked over tables, chairs along with spilled food and drink was what now lay on the floor. A scene like this would have had folks amongst it and yet...

"Where did everyone go?" Azazel walked away from the group and began inspecting the area.

"It is possible that whatever caused the sudden surge of energy pulled in civilians as well." Samuel guessed. "It seems we arrived too late, whatever hell gate had been conjured here is now gone."

"It's not too late." Lucifer claimed as she purposefully moved around the stains littering the floor. Just because she wore shoes didn't mean she wanted them to get dirty. She hated stains on herself. Helltaker could attest to that.

"Care to explain?" Samuel wanted whatever solution she had in his mind.

"I'm the Queen of Hell for a reason I'll have you know." The CEO stood in a more open area and struck a pose. She outstretched her arms and began making unfamiliar gestures and motions with her hands. It was obvious to anyone watching, she was putting in real effort to whatever she was doing.

"Hell energy levels are rising exponentially - prepare yourself, Slayer." Hayden warned him.

The Slayer did just that and suddenly summoned his Super Shotgun. He stood in place and scrutinized the portal coming up not fruition right in front of Lucifer. Her hellified door-making soon came to end. What followed was a small but considerable burst of energy that caught the attention of civilians who happened to be passing by.

"...There…!" Lucifer huffed. She then looked at Hellwalker who kept his gaze on the new doorway. "A 'thank you' would suffice-"

It was then that a towering and heavily muscular beast shot out from the portal. Hind legs, four fingers, glowing yellow eyes and lipless dirty fanged teeth. The Slayer recognized it alright.

This is a Hell Knight.

It let out a roar and charged him frighteningly fast. He brought up his SSG and waited for the demon to close the distance. The Hell Knight went for an overhead swing. The only thing it accomplished was hurrying it's death. The unforgiving pellets from the gun blasted the entirety of the head off in a beautiful spray of blood, bone fragments and brain matter. The Slayer watched the body topple past him and flop to the ground lifelessly.

That was a Hell Knight.

He let the parallel barrels break off from the other half which ejected the worn shells. He swiftly shoved two new ones in and brought the two barrels back.

"We can't just leave this open without anyone guarding it. More could leak out once we enter." Hayden warned. The Slayer agreed with that.

"I'll close it again once we're through. It won't be a problem." Lucifer dismisses the doctor's concerns. She looked at the fresh corpse next to the Slayer. "Those are demons?" She scoffed.

"They look nothing like us?" Justice asked.

"Straight up monsters more like." Zdrada poked at the body with her foot. The moment she did so, the corpse began sizzling and suddenly disappeared from view. Alongside the blood and other bits from it. "Huh. Self-cleaning."

"If only our hell did that." Malina remembered the mess back at their hell. She had gotten tired of cleaning it endlessly after the others. She took a glance at Azazel who had begun to write down furiously on her notepad.

Samuel noticed it and began to explain: "That is a Hell Knight. An enforcer of the underworld. They compel lesser demons to do their bidding with sheer brutality."

Azazel nodded as he spoke. "Disregarding orders from those above them is not in their nature. They readily serve without question."

The Slayer decided that he was tired of standing around. Without looking back at the women, he broke off into a speedy jog and entered the portal unhesitatingly.

"Impatient." Lucifer shook her head as she too walked forward and made her way to the portal.

"We're right behind you." Justice said as she followed.

One by one, they all entered the portal and left behind the world they had come to know.

…

The first thing Lucifer saw when she entered was the brief exchange between Hellwalker and another creature that appeared she did not know of but could describe. Mostly pale red in color it shared similarities to the Hell Knight they encountered earlier. The size difference implied that it was much weaker too which was made evident by the man in front of her.

The Slayer had his left hand dragging an Imp whose arms had gone limp thanks to the work of the monster they all feared. Even though it was useless, it struggled as he dragged it to the closest pool of Hell's Lava. He shoved the Imp closer to the edge and placed his boot on the back of its head. Slowly, he applied force and cared not as the monster screeched and thrashed in a vain attempt to free itself. It yelled even more as the hellish liquid began eating away at its flesh. The Slayer had made sure he didn't dunk the whole head in. When he allowed it to move on its own once more, he received a beautiful view of the muscle and bone underneath it. That satisfied him. He grabbed the demon's head and slammed it against the cursed floor. It had exploded wonderfully.

Lucifer noted the exceptional cruelty this man had just displayed. It didn't bother her, but it did let her know that he reaped great satisfaction from what he had just done. The Slayer turned his head and met the Queen's gaze.

"Wow... And we thought our Hell was dirty." One of Cerberus' bodies said. All three of them studied the new landscape around them. Broken buildings and bridges made out of unfamiliar metals were the least eye-catching. The entire area oozed an oppressive and apocalyptic atmosphere coated in a drab nuclear orange. Humanoid shaped corpses along with other unfamiliar bodies littered the area. Some heads were currently planted on pikes. Others had long died within the confines of cages which had been hung like ornaments on structures. All in all, one could say that it is quite unpleasant here.

"No kidding. Malinka, get to work."

"Go jump in the lava." The sister responded with a snap.

"Maybe later."

Azazel, uncharacteristically, pushed past the group in a careless manner and, in utter awe, took in the scenery. The pencil in her hand trembled and the notepad had suddenly gone very heavy in her hand. With tears threatening to leak from her eyes, she began to passionately record quite literally everything around her. The only person who had seen her in this state before was Malina who still only seemed somewhat surprised at this. Though the others showed a bit of concern, they didn't focus on it too much.

"These must be the civilians previously at the bar." Hayden commented when the Slayer laid his eyes on one of the many innocents. "Unfortunate."

"Helltaker isn't here." Lucifer stated the obvious.

"Perhaps your colleague must have moved when he realized that his mere presence attracted nearby demons to him." Hayden then added: "Or he perished."

Hellwalker shook his head and pointed behind the group. Everyone but Justice turned to look in that direction and found silhouetted forms of both aerial and ground based demons all swarming what appeared to be a hellified castle/tower. Before they could do or say anything, the Slayer had already sped past them and leaped off a cliff they had been standing on. He landed on a large piece of stone jutting out from the lava and used his thrusters to cross the river without any trouble.

He landed on a ravaged path and continued his sprint ahead without looking back. He only had two objectives in mind: a Help Helltaker and kill every single demon in the vicinity. As it turned out, he would get to do the latter first. A lot of the demons drawn to the fighting failed to notice the unchained predator raging towards them. The moment they noticed his presence was the moment many micro missiles lodged themselves into their bodies. Like rapid fireworks, they exploded into many unidentifiable pieces. But that was just fodder, he had more powerful demons coming his way. The first of this group to challenge him was a Revenant. The rocket equipped and meaty skeleton screeched as it lifted itself into the air and unleashed a barrage of missiles at him.

The Slayer dodged the ordinance and along the way picked up a Imp lunging for him by the throat. He halted in place and hurled it at the Revenant. It successfully knocked the jetpack user out of the air and caused it to fall on top of other fodder that had been crushed to death. The last thing the Revenant saw was a singular rocket coming straight for it. Deciding that reaching Helltaker was now more important, Doomguy ignored the rampant balls of fire, bile and other attacks attempting to collide with him and clung to the wall surrounding the castle. He dug his fingers and feet into the stone and quickly scaled onto the top all the while he dodged incoming projectiles. Once he reached the ledge, he vaulted over and landed on the ground once more. He surveyed the area and immediately found Helltaker holding his ground in what appeared to be some sort of training ground.

Helltaker himself didn't look like he had sustained too much damage, which was honestly a surprise for the Slayer. After all, he wore no armor and fought with his bare fists. Even when he started out, he had some form of protection. If he continued on like this he would certainly die at some point, no matter how long it took. The demons were infinite in number and all it took was one ambush like this to end your journey. He would know.

The Slayer pulled out his Chaingun and equipped the shield modification on it. With a symphony of bullets mowing down the seemingly endless horde, he rushed to Helltaker's side who had just finished his deadly boxing match with a Hell Knight. Surprised to see him, the sharp dressed man reacted in time as the other man tossed him his own weapon. He caught it and noted the sudden 80 lb weight on it. The Slayer quickly pointed to the side button on the gun and turned around as he pulled out his plasma rifle and began firing at everything coming their way. With their backs to one another both men unleashed their fury upon the servants of Doom who dared to get close to them. Many bullets and super-heated plasma quite literally liquified and smeared the demonic forces into paste. The minigun/shield provided by Hellwalker proved useful for Helltaker. Many projectiles and other such things from the varying monsters stopped upon it. After minutes that seemed like only seconds, a few more bigger bads had finally come into play.

Without warning, four flaming horned skulls rushed Helltaker and broke the energy shield. A Mancubus not too far off used this moment to launch two fireballs from its cannon and directly at Helltaker. The Slayer heard the pained grunt from behind him but paid no mind to it. He could still hear his Chaingun going off which meant Helltaker was still good. However, he knew that the gun had low ammo at this point and needed more soon. It was here that he noticed an Arch-Vile at the very top of the castle casting a spell. It was no wonder why the horde seemed endless, this annoying bastard had been here the whole time. The Slayer drew his Plasma Rifle and turned to look at Helltaker. He forcefully confiscated the Chaingun and quickly replaced it with the other. Without an explanation, he left the man alone once more and sprinted towards the hellcaster.

Helltaker decided that standing still was a bad idea without Hellwalker covering his back. He ran and shot ahead of himself as he bobbed and weaved through the army. Many Imp, Gargoyle, and Zombies exploded underneath the super heated plasma. His killing spree was cut short when something rammed into him and caused him to violently go sprawling on the ground. Still holding onto the weapon, he pointed it at the demon and prepared to blast it. He didn't get a chance to do so since white glowing chains suddenly wrapped themselves around its body. It roared as it was lifted into the air and dragged alongside the ground. Many unfortunate demons that stood in the way were either gravely wounded or died on the spot as the mere force was enough to crush them.

"Get up, big guy." He heard from behind himself. He recognized the voice as Justice's. He stood up and turned to look at her and found a dead revenant near her feet.

"Thanks for the save." He said seriously as he turned his head and watched as all the girls he knew (except Azazel) took on the demons before them.

Malina smashed her bottle of booze upside a Hell Knights head and then used the jagged shard to slit its throat off.

Modeus used her hammer to completely smash through a Pinky's natural armor before she caved it's head in with one blow.

Cerberus hounded a Pain Elemental flailing in the air as it attempted in vain to shake off the trio clawing away at its flesh mercilessly.

Pandemonica certainly enjoyed this the most. She made sure that every demon she fought was NOT dispatched of quickly. She inflicted the maximum amount of pain before ending their lives.

Zdrada stood close to her sister as she decapitated monster after monster with her uniquely crafted knife. She even smoked as she did so.

Lucifer herself stood at the front of it all and easily dispatched demons. Whether it was with simple death-inducing gestures or swiping motions that decapitated and cut off limbs.

"Eh. You had it I think." She said and as she watched more of the demons forget about Helltaker and focus their attention on the women.

"Have you seen Beelzebub?" He asked her. Justice stood there for a moment before she took on an amused smile. Helltaker then realized who he was talking to.

"Nope. Haven't heard her either." She answered his question anyway. "Is she the one who tossed you here?" The usually grinning woman frowned upon asking.

"Yes. At least I think so. Let's finish this and then we'll talk some more."

She simply nodded in response.

…

The Doom Slayer activated his thruster and dodged the line of fire sweeping across the ground. He pulled the trigger of his SSG too late as the demon put up a wall of fire. His immediate counter to that were to two shoulder launcher grenades over the fiery barricade. The Arch-Vile reacted by moving away from that area and blasting two fireballs from his hands. The Slayer fired his gun once again and managed to land a good amount of pellets that tore off some of its flesh. Realizing it wasn't in a good position, the creature decided to teleport away from high up and back down to the ground where he could receive aid from the others. He was about to follow until a lone purple-skinned demon - a prowler - tackled him with all the force it could muster. It was just enough for the Slayer to slip off the ledge and begin his plummet to the ground alongside it. However, his fall didn't last long as he used his meat hook to tether onto an unsuspecting Cacodemon. He blasted it point blank in the back, turning it into a mist of blue blood.

He landed atop of the very same prowler who had been recovering from the fall and crushed it into a fine paste. Keeping his momentum, he put away his shotgun and replaced it with the Dopesaw. The first demon to be on the receiving end of it was an Imp who soon ceased to lose one of his senses - sight. Doomguy wasn't aiming to waste his time by killing it, he simply wanted the demon summoner's head. He dismembered and cut through the others who dared to stand in his way. By its order, through the use of psychomancy, it had ordered the weaker demons to hold the Slayer at bay while it summoned more allies to aid them. It proved nearly useless as he either ignored enemies or wounded them enough to leave him be. Now among the circle of death, he made his way to the center and revved his Chainsaw as he and the Arch-Vile made eye contact. The demon once again erected a wall of hell fire to stop incoming shots. The Slayer went for a more direct approach and delivered a blow strong enough to completely break the shield.

In panic, the summoner threw a fireball and attempted to claw at the Slayer with its pronged fingers. The only thing that earned it was a severed hand. It cried out in pain as the Slayer sawed off one of its legs and kicked the other one out from it. With the demon now on the ground, he finished it off by driving his chainsaw at the center of its face which immediately killed it. But that didn't stop the Hellwalker from completely eviscerating the skull.

It was at this point that the buffs the demons had received from the Arch-Vile soon vanished. With their speed and power now at their normal state, they all began to quickly fall one by one.

Justice slid underneath a Hell Knight's legs and delivered a karate chop to the back of both knees that caused it to fall onto its knees. Before it could recover, she grabbed its hind leg with both hands and pulled. It fell flat on its face but managed to turn its head just in time to see a fist coming towards its face. Its head caved in like a watermelon.

"I've detected a massive spike of hell energy beyond this wall, prepare yourselves for-" Hayden shouted trying to get everyone's attention. His warning came a little too late as the castle wall acting as a barrier was soon cut as a glowing red blade sliced through the wall. It crumbled underneath its own weight. Through the hellish dust and rubble emerged the Marauder.

"Monster." A distorted voice filled with disdain called out the man standing in place with his fists clenched. "You doomed the Maykrs. Ended their civilization. All to save your worthless people." The Marauder kept his eye on his opponent as he began circling him as the marine did too. "We imprisoned you once and we can do it again. I'll see to it that you never wake up…" The demon activated its argent battle axe and launched a wave of energy at the Slayer.

Using his thrusters, the Slayer dodged the projectile and fired his SSG as he sprinted towards the demon. The devastating pellets were worthless as the Marauder put up his shield at the perfect moment to negate it. Not dissuaded by this, the marine continued his charge and decided that engaging him with his bare fists would be much easier. Realizing his intent, the marauder centered his argent shield in front of him aimed his own double-barrel into the sky as the Slayer leapt. He pulled the trigger too late and soon found the weapon knocked out of his hand. Standing on the argent shield, the Slayer unleashed his Doomblade and attempted to stab the Marauders face. The demon narrowly avoided it and deactivated the shield. The Slayer dropped to the ground and reacted just in time to avoid a swing to his head. He used this as an opening and delivered a crippling kick to his shin. The Marauder grunted in pain as he lost his balance. A leg bending in the wrong direction would do that to you. Not wasting a second, Doomguy grabbed the Marauder's chest piece and tore it off. Along with his heart. The demon's eyes went wide as it realized what happened before fell to its side clutching its chest. The light in the Marauder's eyes slowly faded as its life ebbed away. The victor tossed the piece of armor aside like it was trash.

"The mission was a success. However, I have no method for exiting hell. Perhaps if you would ask Ms. Lucifer…" Samuel trailed off.

The Slayer turned to look at said demon and kept his usual sharp glare on her.

"I'll oblige, but I have questions, many of which will require answers." Lucifer responded.

"I'll explain all once we return. The longer one stays in their realm the more it corrupts those within."

"So that's what it is…" Helltaker grimaced and rubbed his forehead. "I've felt strange urges - something keeps telling me to give in and submit."

"Then we shall leave at once." The Queen of Hell put some space between her and everyone else. She performed hand gestures not unlike last time and, within seconds, created a doorway that lead back to their earth.

Azazel, still rapidly jotting down notes, was the first to enter. The rest did the same and entered the hellish gate that led to the other world. Since Lucifer needed to be the last one to enter the portal, she watched the Slayer approach the portal but not before turning to her and giving her a curt nod.

She let out a "Hmph." and watched him disappear into the blackened void. Before entering it herself, she turned her head for a moment and glanced at the destruction they had left behind. All in all, she had blown off a lot of steam. They all had. She took a few steps forward and entered the portal.

...

A local news outlet had covered the events. To the extent of it that they anyway. Unfortunately, many passersby had been present the moment the two-way gate to Hell appeared at the bar. Photos and videos from cell phones quickly emerged on the internet. Many quickly dismissed this as inauthentic and movie-like while others outright believed it. In the end, it had been quickly dismissed by authorities since there was a lack of bodies from the monstrous demons Helltaker had initially brawled with. All the videos posted online caught the whole minute long altercation. In the end, it was decided by a majority of people that it was a leaked clip for whatever movie was being made. However, there was something strange about those videos…

"I don't remember that happening." Helltaker sat on his rolling chair and watched himself murder every demon that popped through.

Behind him stood the Slayer who had leaned forward and studied the video as well. He watched his new ally decapitate an Imp by punching its head off. What impressed him was the fact that Helltaker had quite literally disarmed a Gargoyle and used the appendage to cut down the monsters. Very creative.

"How can you not remember?" Lucifer stood opposite of Doomguy. She wasn't interested in the video like he was.

"I just don't. But that's obviously me." He gestured to the screen. "All I remember was that I talked to Beelzebub and winded up in Hell."

"So she has something to do with this." Samuel spoke up. "I can see why you chose to imprison her." He hummed. "Could it be that she has allied herself with them?"

"No." Lucifer shot that down quickly. "Beel is a lot of things, but she would never hand over this realm to them. This is her playground - where she performs her mischief. She would fight for it."

"And you are sure of this?"

"I bet my hell on it."

Hayden said nothing more.

"So what now?" Helltaker looked away from the computer and the Slayer.

"At the moment, there are no other Hell Energy signals present. Which means that their influence has not reached as far as we initially thought." Samuel said matter-of-factly.

"So we wait." Lucifer said.

"That is unfortunately the case. I'll keep constant vigilance meanwhile. I'm making the portal now, Slayer."

Not a second later, a red void appeared at the center of Helltaker's personal room. The Slayer stepped away from the computer in front of him and turned to face the portal. He took one step before Helltaker's voice stopped him.

"Hey, Hellwalker, you can stay here if you want." He turned his body towards the man who looked right back at him. He then grabbed the nearly empty plate of pancakes on the desk and casually presented it to him with one hand.

The Slayer glanced at Helltaker and then at the pancakes for a moment. Slowly Doomguy reached underneath his helmet with both hands and pressed something underneath it which audibly gave a small click from it. He lifted his helmet off of himself and fully revealed his head. Both Lucifer and Helltaker stared at him as he grabbed one of the pancakes and brought it close to his mouth before taking a bite. His perpetually angry face didn't give in as he chewed. The Doom Slayer savored the chocolate in his mouth and relaxed.

He deserved that much at the very least.

...

Hey. The author of the story here. Just wanted to say something quick at the end. I made this fic for fun and out of sheer boredom (like another I wrote). Anyway, I posted this chapter because writing a story down and not having others see it is a waste. I hope it kept you, at the very least, slightly entertained while you read it.

Also, yes, I'm aware Justice is blind and having her communicate with the Slayer would be borderline impossible. But suspend your disbelief since she's an all powerful demon who beat Beelzebub in a fight.