Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Slayer's fists curled in on themselves, nails digging through his gloves as the Divinity Machine sprung to life. It filled his skull with pain and flooded his veins with fire, his anguished screams barely audible over the ringing in his ears and the whir of the machine around him.

Once the initial shock wore off and his adrenaline finally kicked in, he began to thrash about wildly; kicking and punching at the panels locking him in until eventually they gave way. Light flooded his senses and he fell to the floor, the room spinning around him as he scrambled to get away from that wretched device, only to discover that he was trapped once more. The room around him quickly shrunk away, his broad shoulders colliding with the ceiling seconds before they were trapped by the walls. He could only watch in horror as the formerly large room transformed into nothing but a mere box that could barely contain him, the wires of the machine becoming chains around his wrists.

Just as suddenly as it started, the growing stopped, and the throbbing pain of his muscles expanding morphed into the all-encompassing sting of his skin morphing into something far more sinister. The dull ache in his head began stabbing at his temples, coalescing into two great horns that curled around his ears, hellish symbols burning themselves into his skin. He tried to scream, but his vocal chords were tangled and all that came out was the deranged wailing of what he had become; the thing he hated the most. A demon .

—

The Slayer bolted up, cold sweat dripping from his temples as a pained yowl escaped his lips. The lights in the fortress flickered on almost immediately, VEGA's voice filtering through his panic as the air caught in his throat.

"The nightmares again, Slayer?"

Breathe, dammit. Just breathe…

He nodded with a weak grunt, scrubbing his hands over his face and clambering out of his makeshift bed. He'd had those same damn dreams since his time on Urdak; always starting in the Divinity Machine, always ending with a giant monster. In some dreams he could still control his actions after the transformation, but in others… he didn't like those ones.

As with most dreams, his recurring nightmares held some truths. The Divinity Machine had, in fact, hurt like hell, and pumped him full of demonic energy. Not that he'd known it at the time, of course. The most Samur had told him beforehand was along the lines of "It'll hurt, but make you stronger."

It had also made him a giant. Not quite to the extent of his nightmares, thank God, but still far too large for his comfort. Too large to do things like, let's say, make a cup of fucking coffee.

He growled, fiddling with the too-small devices in his kitchen with no shortage of frustration. VEGA was always there to help, but he would much rather handle these things on his own, as he had for most of his life. Being so large and clumsy made him feel so… useless.

"Shall I—?"

He cut the AI off with a brief hand gesture, finally managing to start the machine with a click . Satisfied with his brief victory, he moved on to his breakfast.

At twenty feet tall, (well, nineteen feet and eleven inches, but at this height does the extra inch really matter?) eating was a challenge. He was three times his normal height, and thus had to eat three times the normal amount, at least . World hunger was a problem even before the Hell Invasion began, and now most of the grocery stores had been ransacked or destroyed. On Urdak he was at least around the same height as the Khan Maykr, and in Hell… well, he didn't like to dwell on his experiences there, but at least he could eat somewhat decently. Here, though? It was a miracle if he could find so much as a stale bag of chips left behind in a vending machine.

He sighed in defeat as he stared at his meager stash of rations. Most of it was way past its expiration date, and what he could salvage would hardly be enough to consider a proper meal. He'd need to see what he could find while he was out.

He packed up the food to be sorted through at a later date, leaving a few things out so he could assemble something that could maybe pass as a decent breakfast.

Well, at least he still had his coffee…

—

"We have the Hell Priest's signal locked in. The target is marked, but the signal will not hold for long."

The Slayer nodded, prepping his custom-built shotgun and various other weapons. They weren't necessary for the more common demons— a simple kick usually did the trick for them— but they helped a lot with the bigger ones. He took a deep breath and slid on his helmet as VEGA readied the portal.

While being three times his normal height was, in many ways, a curse, it did have its occasional benefits. Absolutely demolishing hordes of demons was certainly one of them.

He made quick work of the zombies in his way, somehow managing to squeeze his way through a much-too-small set of doors and into a chamber of nothing but narrow hallways. Of course . Why were there so many small spaces in Hell's palaces? With how big most of the higher-ranking demons were, it would make more sense for them to have more space.

Of course, VEGA could only teleport him into the middle of a fucking labyrinth , which meant a lot of crawling and hitting his head on things.

He really hated being in these places. Before and after the incident.

He tried to ignore the fact that the cages pressing into his side were filled with squished-together, writhing hordes of demons, blindly pressing and grabbing onto his armor as he passed.

Breathe, Flynn. You're not trapped, you're fine.

It took far too long to get away from the scraping hands of the trapped demons and into a space where he could finally breathe . He got only a second of reprieve before more demons began to climb towards him, a few possessed soldiers taking his moment of rest as an invitation to jump onto his face and pound at the glass of his visor.

He cringed, shaking them off and nudging them out of the way. They were far too human for him to really attack. Perhaps if he were more human himself he wouldn't feel that way— if they posed more of a threat then maybe he wouldn't feel like such a monster… 

He tried to shake the thoughts from his head as he trudged onward, trying to ignore the sense of dread settling into his mind. He simply ignored the imps attempting to stop him; they weren't worth it anyways.

He easily kicked the door to Deag Nilox's chamber open, startling the Hell Priest into a defensive position.

"You—!"

He scooped the tiny nuisance up before he could react, glaring as he scrambled for purchase against his armored fist.

"M— my soul remains guarded! You can't—"

He tried to ignore the voice in his head trying to convince him that he was no better than the beasts wreaking havoc on his planet, that using his size to his advantage made him a monster, as he squeezed the life out of the thing responsible for the attack on his home. The one responsible for making him what he was now.

He shut his eyes as the memories flooded back to him, drowning out the crunching of bones as the being in his hand fell limp. He hated this. Hated what he's been through, what it did to him— he just wanted it to be over. The pain and suffering, the nightmares and flashbacks; he just wanted them to stop.

He snapped back to reality as the room began to shift, the demon holding it up seemingly unhappy that its master had been slaughtered. He flew through the doors, jumping to the ground below and praying that it didn't snap off and sink into the lava surrounding it.

He finally had a moment to catch his breath, checking for nearby demons before making his way into the nearest building. He growled as he packed himself into the small space, breaking through the ceiling so he could fit. Most of the city was in ruins anyways, so he didn't really mind having to break them even more, but that didn't stop him from imagining the worst.

The Divinity Machine didn't just make him bigger; it made him strong . Strong enough to do things even a giant like him shouldn't be able to. If there were to be a person on the floor above him when he hit the ceiling, they'd take the full force of his punch. That would mean broken legs at best .

He tried to shake the thoughts from his head, searching for any signs of life before moving forward. He was painfully aware of how dangerous he was, and didn't want to risk accidentally harming any survivors. At this point, he really didn't like to think about what would happen if he'd actually run into any humans out here.

Chapter Text

VEGA watched through the HUD as the Slayer plowed through the demons in his path, occasionally stopping to search for supplies or wait for the building he was in to settle before moving on. He felt… bad, he supposed, as the Slayer stopped to stretch out in a patch of relatively open space. The Fortress was large, sure, and they'd done what they could to make it suitable for him, but… there just wasn't enough space for the giant man. He wished he could do more to help, but he simply wasn't made for that. He was just a friendly voice, meant to quietly run the UAC facility and give advice where he could.

Then again, he wasn't made to run a Sentinel base or help a giant save the world either, yet there he was. Maybe he could figure out a way to make himself a body to aid in physical tasks? Hm… it would require far more energy than he had access to in the Fortress, and a fairly sophisticated fabrication system, but it was certainly doable.

He couldn't resist the temptation to review the beginning of their relationship, pulling half of his attention away from the Slayer to pull the files from his memory banks.

He didn't think much of the large man at first, aside from the feeling of mild curiosity and a touch of annoyance. He didn't feel physical pain, but there was a feeling of… discomfort whenever the Slayer angrily broke something or accidentally stepped on a bit of machinery.

His feelings only soured more when the man began tearing his cooling systems apart with seemingly no qualms or hesitations. Of course, he knew he was just a jumbled mess of coding piloting an advanced scientific facility, and he was certainly used to being treated as such by the UAC employees, but part of him thought— or at least hoped — that the Slayer might be different.

Then he woke up, dazed and confused, in an unfamiliar body, wondering how the hell he was still (for lack of a better word,) alive. It took him a minute to figure out and start up the systems; at first he could only "feel" where he was, plugged into the control panel for some kind of space station— or maybe a spaceship? All he knew was that the programming was somehow both completely foreign to him and… strangely familiar, at the same time.

First he booted up his vocal and auditory systems, as connecting to and rebooting all of the ship's cameras took time, and he needed answers.

"Hello? Who is there?"

He received no response other than a few odd noises; a metallic scraping noise, a bit of shuffling, and the rustle of fabric. He could sense a large being in the center of the room, shifting its weight in time with the odd noises. A large… person? Alien? Or perhaps he was plugged into a small ship?

"I know someone is here. I cannot have been remotely downloaded onto this system."

Again, no response aside from movement and a soft grunt. How odd… perhaps he should try a softer approach?

"My name is VEGA. I am an artificial intelligence operating system designed to maintain the UAC base on Mars. May I ask for your name?"

Once more he received no verbal response, but soon he had the nearest cameras up and running, his processors filling with an odd combination of joy, shock, and confusion at the sight in front of him. The Slayer was on his knees, crouched in front of the control panel that VEGA was plugged into, the top half of his armor replaced by a poorly assembled tank top.

It was the first time he had clearly seen the Slayer's face, twisted into a soft expression he hadn't expected the man to be capable of. He seemed almost glad to have the AI up and running, but his face conveyed a faint uncertainty. He was… worried? About VEGA, or how the AI felt about seeing him again? He really couldn't say.

VEGA quickly learned that the giant didn't speak, instead communicating through a combination of sign language (which he was clearly still learning) and common gestures to fill in for words he didn't know. Mostly, though, he spoke with actions .

Like chucking the body of a dead hell priest at the feet of his superiors; a warning that he'd put an end to their invasion no matter what it took, and a promise to make them pay for what they'd done.

The Hell Priests cowered under the giant's cold glare, staring in horror at the mangled corpse of their colleague. Deag Grav was the first to break from the trance, stuttering through his empty threats as the Slayer paced the room, just a short distance from ending the conversation then and there.

It was truly pitiful.

"Th-th-this stops nothing…!"

"The sacrament of this world to the great Khan Maykr will be made, and the energy will be restored once again—"

"—as it is written, from the souls of the non-believers!"

"You will not save them from their judgment!"

Just one short step was all it took to scare them away, their forms dissipating through the portals just as the Slayer lifted his firearm. The room was quickly filled with a golden light as the Khan Maykr took her place in the council, bending slightly to meet the Slayer at face level.

He wasn't sure if he could feel anger as humans did, but a strangely aggressive sensation crawled through his mainframe like magma at the sight of her.

"You go too far this time. You cannot interfere. This is humanity's chance to repent, to give service to us."

The Slayer turned, seemingly paying no mind to the alien dictator as she continued to drone.

"You cannot resist the will of the Khan Maykr…"

"Activating the portal now." VEGA's calm voice rang through the intercom as the portal formed, his usual monotone a stark contrast to the hatred seething through his processors.

"...for it was you who was meant to enforce it."

The voice drifted away as the Slayer stepped into the Fortress, momentarily reeling back after his helmet made contact with the significantly lower ceiling.

"I do not have the means to locate the second Hell Priest. Your Celestial Locator is missing a component. We will need a replacement." VEGA chimed, happy to have a distraction from the unusual thoughts that the Khan Maykr stirred in him. Perhaps there was some sort of error in his systems? No matter, he could sort that out later.

The Slayer nodded as he removed his helmet, making a small noise to indicate that he understood. The soldier practically melted out of his armor, heaving a pleased sigh as the weight was taken off of his body and he finally had a moment to rest.

If VEGA had a face he would wear a warm smile at the sight; the giant slumping into the center of the control panel, carefully leaning over it as he typed into the "handheld" screen they had built for him.

Typing was usually reserved for important messages or things he couldn't quite sign out yet. It made VEGA quite happy to have this special form of speaking with him— anyone could learn sign language or understand his various signals, but this was just for him. A private line of communication between the two of them. Something more… intimate.

'Hey, V. Make any progress while I was gone?'

"I've completed the redesign of your Equipment Launcher. The Flame Belch is now ready for your approval."

The Slayer nodded, a small smile on his face as he began to type again.

'Check on that later. How about a story— you read?'

With his increased body weight and size, he couldn't spend too much time in the Praetor suit before it began to wear him out— especially with the severe lack of nutrients he was getting in relation to his size. If it weren't for VEGA's strict rules to rest for at least an hour after each mission, the poor man would have worn himself to death by now.

"Of course, Slayer. Which one would you like?" He pulled up the digital copies from his library, displaying them on the screen for the soldier to flick through.

They had to modify quite a few things to make life more comfortable for the giant. Digital copies of his books, other forms of entertainment they found on their missions, a custom fabricator for suit upgrades, weapons, and clothing, modifications to the portal device and Fortress itself, a makeshift mattress made of other mattresses… the list goes on. 

Usually the Slayer would be busying himself with minor repairs and modifications, but today he just seemed content to lay on the floor as VEGA recited one of his novels; his favorite, the AI noted, as he had requested it the most out of all of them.

" RET_CONNED: The Life and Times of Flynn Taggart ."

The Slayer closed his eyes, wearily nodding off as the AI's voice drifted through the Fortress of Doom.

Chapter Text

The Doom Slayer shivered slightly as he stepped into the hauntingly familiar halls of Exultia, thankful for the grand archways and high ceilings of Argenta architecture. The memories brought on by the familiar environment weren't particularly pleasant; though he spent many years fighting beside and leading the Night Sentinels to victory, there were many prevalent rumors regarding his change in size.

Some thought he was a descendant of the Ancestrals, that he consumed the fallen soldiers of Argent D'Nur to keep his strength, or that he had fallen prey to some form of demonic corruption. Some even suspected him of selling his soul for unlimited power. The soldiers that fought alongside him often whispered, in voices they thought too low for him to hear, about who said this or they heard that , but they never stopped to consider his side of the story.

Still, they feared and respected him enough to follow his lead, and there were some who got close enough to realize that the rumors weren't true. They never knew how the power was forced onto him, how he had no control over what happened, no clue what Samur was signing him up for: they just knew that he was a good soldier and a useful ally. That was all they needed.

Even then, with all of this new power, his size, his strength— still, he couldn't protect them, couldn't save them from the threat to their world. He failed, and now he was all that was left of their ranks.

He heaved a heavy sigh as he made his way into King Novik's chamber, easily striding past statues as tall as he was to stand in the center of the room, ignoring the spectral whisperings of the fallen king.

"Why are you here?"

The panel in the floor easily slid open once it connected to the sensor in his armor, revealing the Celestial Locator hidden in its core.

"It is not yours to take. You cannot kill the Priests. You know our laws — "

He lifted the item from its stand with his fingers, letting it roll into the center of his palm before closing his hand around it and kneeling before the empty throne. Many, many years ago, the fallen king had shown him mercy despite his imposing size and questionable past; letting him join the ranks of the Sentinels, even with the great risk he could have posed to them. The man had earned his respect, but not his obedience.

"Despite their transgressions against the covenant, they are still of Sentinel Blood. What you interfere with now is bigger than you can imagine. It is written, it is their time to give penance— if you continue, you will bring down the heavens' wrath."

The Slayer stood with a soft growl, turning his back to the throne and making his way towards the exit. He couldn't turn a blind eye as another world was torn apart by the legions of Hell, and he wasn't going to let the words of the dead stop him

"You are but one man— they are no longer your people to save!"

He paused, turning to glare down at the spectral figure as it faded from sight. Not his people to save? And he supposed the Argenta were? The ones that spit nothing but lies of how awful and monstrous he was, despite all of his efforts to help them? He may not be human anymore, but he was certainly no Argenta.

—

It took another hour or so of forcing his way through the disgusting, fleshy landscapes of Hell, collecting power sources and using the gigantic mechs to clear his path, and fighting through hordes of demons and small spaces to finally find what he was searching for.

"There are motion sensors and artillery everywhere." VEGA's voice chimed through the intercom as he stepped through the doors, eyes locked on the lonely man as he stepped past all of the security measures, pausing just in view with his hands up.

The Betrayer stood quickly, prepared to blast the intruder at any second before recognizing the giant's familiar armor and settling back down with a quiet groan, pointedly avoiding the Slayer's eyes as he slowly approached.

"I told you all to leave me here. I am where I belong."

He gently lowered himself to the ground beside the man, digging through his armor for the locator and extending it towards him, laying in his palm. The Betrayer sighed, walking towards the giant's hand to grab the device.

"Saving your people will not bring you peace, only make the burden you carry worse." He spoke as he replaced the locator's power source, avoiding looking up at the Slayer as he held it towards him. He went to take it, but the Betrayer recoiled— he wasn't sure if it was out of fear, or something else.

"And now you seek to defy the Khan Maykr herself? It is your people's time now to give penance, just as it was mine. Hear me, Slayer— When his heart is laid to rest, then his soul will be at peace… and so will mine."

The locator was placed in his hand, as well as something else; a small blade, concealed within its hilt. He wanted to say something to ease the tension in the air, but he hadn't spoken in so long he wasn't sure if he even knew how.

Instead he huffed a sigh, folding his legs under him and reaching for the Sentinel's extended hand. The Betrayer went stiff for a moment, his eyes flicking up towards the Slayer's face to try and discern his intention. He understood how the Betrayer— Valen, if he remembered correctly— must feel. Years of exile, an outsider to his own people… simply because he trusted the wrong person. They were more alike than he could ever know, and he hoped that his expression conveyed it.

He released the Sentinel's hand after a brief moment, watching as he slowly made his way back to his spot by the fire. They stayed like that for a short while, watching the flames in what he'd hoped was a companionable silence, before the Slayer made his way back home.

—

He removed his helmet shortly after stepping through the portal, enjoying the blast of cool air that met his face with a contented sigh.

"You can now find the remaining Hell Priests by activating your Celestial Locator."

He gently set the device into its place, looking up at the map as VEGA uploaded the new data to it.

"The second Hell Priest is located in the northern region of Earth. I strongly suggest removing your armor and finding something to eat before heading out again."

The Slayer shook his head, setting his helmet down to sign.

'Can't eat, need new food. Out of date.'

"I cannot let you go on another mission without taking the time to properly recuperate. Can you at least remove your armor and rest?"

'Not without food. Where is Priest, exactly?'

"The second Hell Priest appears to be… hiding in an off the grid UAC base, known for its strange cult activity."

'UAC should have cafeteria, plenty of food stores. Good place for scavenging.'

If VEGA were a person, the Slayer was sure he would have rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Very well, I will calibrate the portal now. In the meantime, you should take time to restore the ship's power and upgrade your weapons."

The giant nodded, removing a bit more armor and heading further into the Fortress, careful to avoid hitting his head on some of the lower structures.

"The Hub has several areas locked off due to power constraints. Once power has been restored, you will be able to access the entire ship."

He paused, kneeling in front of the main generator and briefly rifling through his armor for one of the Sentinel batteries he'd collected on his search and locking it into its place. 

"Sentinel Energy levels rising. Reestablishing power to core and supplementary systems." The human smiled, standing back up as the generator flared to life, heading back to the front of the ship as VEGA spoke, grabbing his new modification and examining it. "The Ice Bomb modification to your Equipment Launcher has been completed. Once fired, the bomb will douse nearby enemies in freezing gasses. You'll have to manually toggle the launcher to fire either Ice Bombs or Frag Grenades."

'Test it out?'

"Of course. I'll grant you access to the 'Ripatorium' immediately."

A giddy smile crossed the giant's face as he equipped his new weapons and made his way downstairs, his eagerness to start his next mission fading to the back of his mind as he played around with his new upgrades.

Chapter Text

Flynn was woken up by a sharp, familiar pain in his stomach and the irritatingly loud noises that accompanied it— he was hungry. Starving, actually, as the last thing he'd eaten was a stale loaf of bread and some poorly reheated soup, almost two days ago.

It seems that VEGA's plan to make him rest before leaving by tiring him out had worked.

He growled, annoyed that his plan to get some actual food had been ruined by the excitement of new weaponry, groggily rolling out of his nest and making a beeline for his equipment.

"Good morning, Slayer." VEGA's unusually chipper voice rang through the speakers, earning him a gruff grunt and obscene gesture in response. "The portal is ready, now."

'Of course it is.' The Slayer signed back, immediately getting to work assembling his armor.

"Are you not having breakfast?"

'There is no breakfast. Not enough food.'

"You could at least have coffee."

'Not without eating, too jittery. Get food first.'

"Will you be alright until then?"

'Not my first time. I'll be fine. You worry too much.'

"I do not worry. I'm not programmed to."

The Slayer shrugged, a small smirk on his face as he slid on his helmet and grabbed his weapons, slipping through the portal before VEGA could try and talk him out of it.

—

The cultist base was certainly… different from any UAC structures he'd been in before. It was filled with strange traps, weapons, and mechanisms that were far more reminiscent of Sentinel technology than anything Hayden would have come up with. It also seemed to be run entirely by demons, or “mortally challenged personnel,” as the automated announcement called them.

Which meant no cafeteria to search through. Wonderful.

"There seems to be a separate section of the building for human operatives, there should be a suitable food storage there. I will mark it on your HUD. There is a control panel you will need to access nearby to enter the separate facility. You should be able to reach far enough to use it, but you won't be able to fit into the room."

The Slayer nodded at the AI's instruction, swiftly turning his full attention to his next objective and pointedly ignoring the complaining of his empty stomach at the mere thought of food.

He had to pass through a series of smaller hallways and an airlock before he found the room he needed. Small and windowless, with an automated door as the only way in or out. It required a keycard to open, but it was far easier to just break the card scanner and force the door open with his hands. The control panel he needed to reach was towards the far end of the room, so he had to lie on his stomach and push his arm as far as it would go through the relatively small opening and blindly feel around for the right machine.

Unfortunately, there were a few demons that had followed him through the facility and had seemingly made it their mission to interrupt him whenever he stopped to do something. Most of them were deterred by the swat of a hand or a swift kick, but a particularly stubborn Pinky was trying its best to wiggle under his armor and bite his leg. He had to turn onto his side in order to kick it away with enough force to render it immobile.

His hand blindly explored the room, recklessly destroying anything in its way as it searched for the control panel that would grant him access to the kitchens. As he felt for the small lever, the distinct sound of something scurrying away from his hand caught his attention, and he grabbed the thing fully intending to crush the life from it…

But then it screamed .

Not the howl or wail of a demon, or even anything similar to the cry of an animal; it was the distinct, terrified shout of a human being. And he had caused it.

He recoiled his hand as soon as the noise met his ears, eyes wide with shock and worry as he tried desperately to peer into the room. Had he hurt them? Were they in pain?

When it was obvious that he wouldn't be able to see the person, tucked into the far corner of the room, he reached back for them, far more gentle this time as he wrapped his hand around the squirming mass and dragged it into view.

"No, no! Please, I—" The human pleaded, sucking in a horrified breath as their eyes met his. They were frozen in fear for a moment as he gingerly prodded at them, checking for injuries. They recoiled in pain when his thumb grazed their chest, and he made a mental note to look for medical supplies while he was there.

For now, though, he single-handedly removed his helmet with a gruff sigh, trying to ignore the terror in the human's face and persistent shouts and struggles of protest as he tried to gently force them down the front of his armor. He didn't have anywhere else to put the little guy, and after potentially causing a serious injury, he wasn't just going to leave them to the demons. While it wouldn't exactly be comfortable for either of them to have them tucked into the giant's chest plates, it would be the safest place to keep them for the time being, and he needed his hands free for the enemies he was bound to face.

Of course, that meant the poor human had a front-row seat to his empty stomach's complaining growls, and he felt and heard every single movement and plea for help the smaller person made, trying desperately to escape or convince him not to hurt them. Not to mention that he had to be extra careful not to squish the small human as he went back to what he was doing, hypersensitive to how horrifying the whole experience must have been to them. A giant hand breaking into their hiding place, grabbing them and examining them before forcing them to squeeze into its armor, mere inches from a loudly gurgling stomach that was heavily pressed on top of them, taking over what little room the tight space provided… it must be torture.

He flipped the lever as quickly as he could, sitting up so fast he banged his head on the much lower ceilings in the human-sized halls. He grumbled a complaint, crawling towards the door he had finally opened and making his way towards the kitchen storage.

The human quickly got tired of struggling, likely weakened by their injury. Their face pressed into his chest as they heaved quiet sobs, praying to whatever gods that would listen to spare their life. The Slayer subconsciously pressed his hand to the spot where he felt them, wishing to comfort them despite the solid wall of armor in his way.

He decided to try humming to calm their nerves as he sorted through the pantries, hoping that it came across as comforting as he shoved as much food as he could into the small, ramshackle bag he had brought for storage. He had briefly considered shoving the human in there instead but… well, he didn't feel comfortable forcing them to sit in a sachet alongside a bunch of food as he fought. He wasn't comfortable with the current situation either, but at least putting them in his armor didn't reinforce the thought that they were food. Besides, the armor was far safer, as long as he was careful, and he could monitor their vital signs on his HUD. 

Their pulse had softened considerably, and their breathing was more steady and automatic; he doubted they had fallen asleep in their situation, so it was most likely that they passed out due to the stress and their injuries. Well, at least that meant they weren't going to be distracting him by squirming under his armor, but they did twitch every so often as they faded in and out of consciousness.

Oh boy, this was going to be a long mission…

—

The Slayer tossed his helmet aside with a soft groan, exhausted by the long battle against the Doom Hunter to get to the Deag. The human had woken up at some point during the fight, and their wild thrashing had distracted him enough for the demons to get a few good hits in before finally going down. He did his best to make sure the attacks missed the spot that held his precious cargo, but he wasn't entirely sure they made it out unscathed.

His head snapped up when the Fortresses lights began to flicker, his eyes following the electric yellow veins crawling along the surface of the devices.

"Our system is being corrupted." VEGA's voice filtered through the speakers, the unnaturally calm tone a stark contrast to the situation. Panic welled in the Slayer's chest as the same yellow static overtook the hologram projector, building and congealing into the form of the Khan Maykr. His hands anxiously flitting to the grip of his pistol.

"This game has gone far enough."

"I will have her transmission removed in a moment." The Doom Marine nodded at the nearest camera, one hand rested protectively over the spot the human was situated beneath his armor; their small, quivering body wracked with small sobs.

"Despite the loss of the Priests, Earth will fall and my people will survive. I will answer the human's prayers; reward those that believe." The Slayer cautiously inched forward, eyes scanning the area for potential threats.

"This Hub was of Maykr design— she knows the systems well."

"The final Priest will be moved to a more discreet location, so our work can continue without further disruption." The Marine bolted towards his workstation with a snarl as soon as the system was rebooted, briefly scanning the screens before turning his attention back to the human he'd technically kidnapped.

"The Hell Priests signal is no longer visible to us. There is a 41—" The Slayer cut him off with a gesture, typing something on the screen before VEGA could go off on a tangent.

‘The Hell Priest can wait, let's take care of our friend here first, ok?’

"Right, I apologize. I'll have the drones prepare the medical supplies in the workshop." Flynn nodded, marking the information displayed on the monitor for later before making his way further into the Fortress. He certainly hoped the UAC employee wouldn't be too freaked out by the time they were released.

Chapter Text

The Slayer hastily made his way through the Fortress, acutely aware of every single sound and sensation from the passenger in his armor; or rather, the lack of them. Not long after— or maybe it was during— the incident with the Khan Mayker, the human had gone eerily still, sending the marine's heart into his throat.

'V, are they hurt?' He signed as he reached his destination, hands ghosting over the spot that held the suspiciously quiet human while he approached the work bench.

"They appear to have a severe infection on their chest, as well as a few fractured ribs from the Doom Hunters. I would assume they've withdrawn from the pain."

The Slayer nodded softly, carefully removing the armor holding them in place, the human curling in on themselves as soon as they were able to move. The sight made his heart ache, and he tried to be as gentle as possible as he lifted them from their small divot in the armor, quietly muttering to themself as he readied the medkit.

He set them on the large platform he usually used to clean and work on his weapons and armor, kneeling on the floor as he got to work removing their shirt.

"No, please—" They pleaded, curling tighter in on themselves with a quiet sob. " Please, I… I don't want to die like this…"

He leaned forward, gently running a finger over the human's hair as he made soft shushing noises. His eyes swiftly scanned their small form, taking in as much information as they could. Short, messy brown hair framing their slim face, a pair of glasses barely resting on their nose. Their eyes were screwed shut in fear, a pained grimace staining their face. Their cheeks were bright red and wet with tears, their body wracked with sobs as he motioned for VEGA to step in and reassure them that they would be safe.

"You are going to be alright, the Sla—" He cut the AI off with a sharp gesture, using one hand to spell something out. "I mean… Flynn? "

He nodded, hoping the name would help the human trust him as he gently tugged at their shirt again, trying to get to the injuries beneath it. Their clothes were a bloodied mess, and he cringed as he imagined the worst for the poor human. It must have been so hard fighting the demons off at such a small size…

"Flynn is only trying to help. You are badly injured, and your infection is beginning to make you delusional."

"Infection…?" They blearily turned to look at the Slayer, who nodded in response. "You… why are you helping?"

He released his hold on them with a sigh, using both hands to sign something out. His sign language wasn't very good, and he wasn't sure if they would understand what he meant, but he hoped that VEGA could at least help him get the point across.

'Was human once. Want to help. Tried to protect. I'm sorry.'

"He says—" VEGA started, pausing when the human began repeating the motions, sounding them out.

"Human once…?"

Flynn nodded, a small smile crossing his face. So they knew sign language. Good.

'Let me help. Please.'

The human nodded dazedly, head dropping back onto the table as they let the Slayer remove their clothes and wrappings, assessing the injuries beneath them. They were surprisingly precise— surgical, even. Two perfect incisions, just below the chest; one side was slightly red and irritated, the other was far worse. He tilted his head, eyebrows furrowing inquisitively as he tried to figure out what had caused them, eyes flitting back to the human's face as his silent question was answered.

"Top surgery. I was transferred here just after I got it, just before… this ." The human remarked, gesturing vaguely with a wince. The Slayer nodded in understanding as he carefully grabbed the antiseptic, one of VEGA's modbots helpfully handing him what he needed as he worked on the small injuries. "I lost my antibiotics in the transfer. Couldn't get new ones. Pretty sure demon blood got in it. I think… I think they wanted me to die. To turn into one of them ."

Flynn paused, using his thumb to gently wipe a tear from the smaller man's face. They flinched away from the touch at first, still wary of the giant; but in the end they let him comfort them, weakly melting into the touch.

"There are stories about you. A lot of them." They passively remarked, trying to distract themself from the pain, their voice soft from the exhaustion. "Th— the UAC says a lot of bad stuff. You eat people, you're a demon… that's not true, is it?"

The Slayer shook his head with a soft sigh, carefully winding the bandages around their chest, trying not to wrap it too tight as they drifted back towards unconsciousness.

'Can you figure out who this is?' He turned his attention back towards the nearest camera once the small man had fallen unconscious, signing out the words before carefully lifting them into the crook of his arm, slowly making his way back to his computer. He tried to move his arm as little as possible as he signed out the next sentence. 'I don't like just calling them the person I kidnapped.'

"Of course, I have access to all of the UAC's employee files. I'll run the search now."

—

It was a long time before Sky woke up, dazed and confused, in a strangely soft and warm place. This certainly wasn't where they fell asleep, and it definitely wasn't the cold, hard floor of the control room so… what happened?

They made to sit up, wincing at the sharp pain in their chest as they looked around, trying to figure out where they were. Everything was imposingly large; high ceilings, giant screens, and a giant blanket wrapped around him. Then they remembered.

Impossibly loud gunshots, thundering footsteps making their way towards them as they ran for cover. The Doomslayer , fighting off the demons outside as he reached into the room, gloved hand wrapped tightly around them, pulling them into its grasp and forcing them into the small gap in his armor. Each enormous breath tightening the already constrained space, the growling of his enormous stomach reverberating in the human's ears.

They jolted with an audible squeak at a sudden clattering noise beside them, turning to see the giant staring at him with a combination of shock and confusion, a large bowl set on the surface beside them. The giant, now in only a patchwork t-shirt and sweatpants, began to sign something, the human's brain struggling to comprehend what was going on as it translated the symbols.

'Are you alright?' The giant— no, Flynn. His name is Flynn— stared down at them, clearly concerned by their behavior. 

They knew its name. Why did they know its name?

"I… u-um…" The human stuttered, a shiver running down their spine under the force of those piercing green eyes.

"They likely don't remember much from earlier, as they were only partially conscious. Perhaps you should try a softer approach?" That voice… was that VEGA?

The giant nodded up at the voice, walking around the structure so he was in full view, holding something out to Sky as he knelt in front of them, signing with his other hand.

'Food. For you.'

"Oh. Th— thank you." The comparatively small man tentatively reached out, grabbing a bowl of what seemed to be some form of stew from the fingers of the giant. They couldn't help but flinch when the hand was swiftly pulled away, signing something else before they could even comprehend the motion; their brain thankfully moving faster than their eyes.

'Sorry, best I could do. Hard to cook like… this.'

"No, no, I'm sure it's not that bad!" Sky automatically responded, the quiver in their voice indicating that they hoped to talk their way out of whatever the giant had been planning. Surely he wouldn't like the UAC after everything that happened, and it was only a matter of time before he decided to punish the smaller man for helping them destroy the world with their schemes, right?

For now, though, the Slayer backed off, booming footsteps carrying him to a large desk of monitors not too far from where Sky sat, seemingly intending to work on something as the human ate.

The stew itself was an odd mixture of ingredients from the UAC's kitchen. It mostly consisted of canned or frozen meat and vegetables, potatoes, and various forms of pasta. It was a strange combination to say the least, but Sky supposed that the giant had to add whatever he could to make it a suitable meal for a man of his size. All in all, it was pretty good, and the first proper meal they'd had in a long time.

They kept a cautious eye on the giant, burrowing themself into the blanket with a small gasp once they noticed they were half naked. The only thing covering their chest was a fresh wrapping of bandages, and they weren't used to the idea of being shirtless quite yet. The giant didn't seem to mind too much as he typed away at one of the screens, occasionally glancing back up at Sky with an expression they couldn't quite read, unknowingly sending a shiver down their spine.

"Um… are you going to eat anything?" The human tried, raising their voice so they could be heard from the short distance. The Slayer nodded in response, gesturing to something behind Sky before signing something.

'Ate in the kitchen, didn't want to make you… upset?' Flynn shook his head, waving his hands in a dismissive manner before continuing. A low, frustrated growl crawled from the giant's throat, causing the already frightened human to burrow themself even further into their nest, the Slayer's expression twisting into a scowl as he tried to sign the right word. 'No, no, not right. U-n-c-o—'

"Uncomfortable…?" Sky squeaked, recoiling slightly when the giant's attention snapped back to them with a nod.

'Left my bowl there, in case you want more.' He signed, pointing back to the large container they had noticed earlier.

"Oh. Th—thank you…?" They muttered, their dumbfounded stare circling back towards the Slayer. Why was he being so nice? He must know that the human worked for the UAC at this point, and with what happened on Mars it was pretty obvious that he had a particular distaste for the corporation; surely there had to be some unresolved aggression from that, right? Was he just waiting for the right moment to release that anger on Sky, or did he have some sort of plan?

For the most part, the giant seemed to have no interest in the human, entirely focused on whatever it was he was doing on the gigantic screens. 

Sky took this as an opportunity to take in their surroundings with a bit more detail, slowly standing with their arms across their exposed chest. A small chill crawled up their spine with the absence of the blanket, and they kept looking back to see if the giant for some reason got upset with their actions, when they noticed something familiar on the monitor.

The Slayer's jade green eyes were glued to the screen in front of him, scanning the report with a curious expression. His fist was pressed to his lips in an absent-minded display of concentration, staring at a file containing the human's picture. Sky immediately recognized it as the photo from their work ID: The Slayer was looking at the UAC's employee records. What did he want with their employee records?

They were drawn from their shock and confusion by a mechanical whirring, their attention turning to the odd-looking field drone approaching them. It carried no visible cargo, and sported a notably sleeker, more refined design. As it got closer, they noted its odd, pale green coloration and red LED details, along with one other thing; a familiar name, scrawled along the front of its optic lense.

"Hello again, Dr. McKinnon. I see your gender reassignment surgery went relatively well, all things considered."

" VEGA? But— how is that possible, I thought you were de—" They froze, taking a breath to steady themself before turning back to the AI, whose mechanical vessel was tilted to the side inquisitively at the human's slip-up. 

" Destroyed, I mean. On… on Mars. And I technically don't have my doctorate yet, so it's… it's just Sky for now, I guess." They shrugged, rubbing at their arm nervously as their eyes flitted back to the distracted giant.

"Of course, but with the current state of things, I figured the formalities wouldn't really matter. After all, it doesn't seem extremely likely that you'll be able to complete your degree in the near future."

"Yeah… right." They shook their head, trying to drive away the onsetting sorrow at the loss of their former life. It did no good to dwell on that now. "Um, how did you get here, by the way? With the… the Doom Marine?"

"He saved me. Saved my backup file, that is, before he destroyed my core. Luckily, the advanced mainframe of this Sentinel base was just large enough to upload and withstand all of my memory banks. How we arrived here is still rather unclear, but I don't particularly care for the details of our arrival; I am just happy to be here now."

"But… Why would he do that? There wasn't really any reason to… I mean, what could he have gained by saving an AI from the UAC?"

"I asked the same thing when I was first rebooted. He didn't answer at first— not traditionally, at least. He's never been a man of many words. He didn't even really have an answer… he just did what he felt was right, I suppose."

"But I thought… all of our records of the Slayer made it seem like he had no morals. That he didn't care about anything other than killing ."

"The Sl— Flynn — is, in many ways, more than he seems. After all, what could he gain from saving a human that worked for the people that brought about the end of the world?"

"I… I don't know." They paused, turning back to look up at the imposing man once more, lost in thought. They were starting to realize that they didn't really know anything about the Slayer besides what the UAC had told them: and they never liked not having the answers to their questions.

Chapter Text

Flynn turned his attention fully to the task at hand, looking back to his tablet to click through the files VEGA had gathered on their new companion once he was certain the human was alright.

The name on the screen was Sophia L. McKinnon, though he highly doubted the name was accurate, given their earlier interactions. Even in the photo, the person had clearly been taking hormone therapy for some time, yet the report didn't acknowledge their transition at all. He scowled slightly, disappointed, though not particularly surprised at the UAC's lack of respect for their employees. Still, he was at least hoping to get a name out of it, and now it seemed he wouldn't find anything of use to him.

Nonetheless, his eyes scanned the document diligently, picking out the small bits of useful information from the meaningless filler they tended to weave through their reports. 

Apparently, the small man had been working as a sort of paid intern, performing minor tasks to gain work experience in the field. Clearly, part of their paycheck went towards their surgery, but the rest was being used to pay off their student loans. They were working towards a masters degree in biometrics and exobiology, which they were still studying during the initial invasion. They had hoped to join the corporation so they could study the effects that prolonged exposure to the elements of Hell and Argent energy had on their researchers, as well as how the "mortally challenged" were affected by being removed from that environment. Unfortunately, the higher-ups at the UAC didn't give them the chance, as apparently they "didn't meet the company's standards" enough to have a proper position. Instead, they were used for completing menial tasks and working as an unwitting test subject until the UAC seemingly lost all interest in them, transferring them to their northern base to essentially be fed to the demons.

Of course, it didn't outright state any of that, but Flynn knew how those bastards thought. Just because the poor guy didn't buy into their bullshit cult ideology… He closed out of the file with a frustrated sigh before turning back to his guest, startled by what he found.

The human had collapsed on their knees not far from where he had left them, curled in on themselves and sobbing. They were seemingly far on their way through a spiraling panic attack, hyperventilating and muttering incoherently when the Doomslayer rushed to their side, hands hovering over them as he tried to figure out what to do. 

It had been far too long since he'd last tried to calm someone in a situation like this, and the last time he'd tried to hold someone at this size… hadn't ended well. His eyes darted around the room, trying desperately to find something— anything— that would help him out. He partially registered that VEGA was saying something, but he was far too distracted by the human to pay attention.

In his desperate search to find a solution, his eyes happened to land on the empty cage beneath his old desk, and then it clicked. Daisy.

The Slayer crouched to the human's level, muttering soft nonsense in an attempt to calm them. He could hardly manage more than a murmur, his voice far too neglected to properly use, though it seemed to be drowned out by the intern's panicked thoughts anyways. Still, he continued, trying his best to make it sound more reassuring than creepy as his mind cycled through the routine of calming a frightened rabbit. Gentle reassurance, comfort items, distractions.

He slowly reached for the blanket sitting just a few feet from the panicked human, gently wrapping it around their shoulders and letting his hand drape overtop of it, hoping it helped ground them with its weight and warmth instead of filling them with fear.

He felt their shoulders tense up, their breath hitching for a moment before another strained sob wracked their small frame. They slumped under his palm, and for a moment he worried he was being too heavy-handed, but then he felt small hands grabbing his finger and pulling it closer. He heaved a sigh of relief that ruffled their hair and slowly brought his thumb up to rub soothing circles into the nape of their neck, humming a soft melody he didn't remember the words to.

Gradually the sobbing stopped, and he carefully pulled his hand away to give them room to breathe. He noticed a shiver as the warmth was removed, but the small person made no attempt to move. He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself to do something he hadn't done since leaving Argent D'Nur…

—

“A-Are… You… Oh-kay…?”

Sky flinched at the sudden noise, a low, rumbling growl like thunder washing over their quivering form. They turned to face the source, eyes wide as they registered what they had heard. The giant had spoken .

“You… you can talk?”

The giant's face was twisted into a grimace, one massive hand rubbing at his throat while the other was tilted back and forth in a ‘so-so’ motion, before he switched entirely to signing. Sky couldn't quite make out the expression he wore, looking down at the human almost… expectantly?

‘Hurts, try not to. My question?’

Question… he asked a question?

“I… I'm sorry, I don't— question?”

The Doomslayer huffed— sighed?— through his nose, the air washing over the scientist's body like a warm breeze as his hands continued to dance. It was strange, seeing something so absurdly massive move so gracefully. While their fight-or-flight was kicked into high gear by the whole situation, it was quickly outweighed by their fascination. How did this man work? How was he so imposingly large yet delicate and swift? How could a being of pure rage and power be so gentle with them?

Their eyes carefully traced the movement of the giant hands, struggling to make the words out from so close, but eventually it clicked.

‘Are you OK?’

“Oh, yes, I just, um… I was…” They huffed a sigh, shifting so they were fully facing the giant instead of twisting to fully see him, cowering under the full weight of that pale green stare, burying the sense of dread trying to overtake them. He hadn't hurt them yet, there was no logical reason to be afraid. “I was thinking about the past few years, about how much had happened… with everything happening I didn't have the time to process any of it, to…”

‘Mourn…?’

Sky nodded, tears welling in their eyes at the resurging thoughts. All of their plans, their life, their loved ones… everything was just gone. They had just barely come out to their family, and their friends were all left behind in the transfer; they were supposed to see them that summer. And what about their little nieces and nephews? Were they taken by the demons too? God, this was all their fault, they should've known something was wrong and tried to stop it, they should've—

A whimper escaped their throat as one of those large, battle-worn hands slowly snaked its way towards them, a calloused thumb gingerly lifting to wipe the tear that had trickled down their cheek. It all came crashing down on them at once as they melted into the touch, burying their face in the crook of Flynn's thumb as they sobbed uncontrollably. The rough digit shifted to run along the back of their head, smoothing down the tangled mess of hair, while his other fingers gently curved around to cup their back.

They wrapped their arms around the base of his thumb, clinging to it like a lifeline as all the emotions they had been shoving aside made themselves known. Flynn’s muscles stiffened, and they figured he was overwhelmed by the outburst of emotion. They could feel every tiny shift and twitch reverberated in his hand as he glanced up towards the cameras; if they had been looking, they would have seen a pleading expression cross his face as he turned to VEGA for help. They heard the drone from earlier float up towards the giant's shoulder, VEGA's calm voice quietly advising him on what to do next.

A soft tap on the table grabbed their attention, their head jerking up to see the Slayer attempting to sign with his free hand without jostling the other too much.

“Huh?”

‘Can I… lift— no, hold? Will be gentle.’

He then crossed his fingers as if signing good luck, and Sky tilted their head in confusion.

“Um…?”

Flynn dropped the sign with a frustrated growl, the sound coming to an abrupt stop as the smaller human flinched in his palm. He made another gesture, waving his hand dismissively before he stared at his hand a bit in thought.

“Should I—” VEGA attempted, only to be cut off with another wave of the hand.

The Slayer lowered his free hand towards Sky, extending his pinkie towards them with a hopeful look. It took a second of thought before the meaning finally clicked, registering the gesture they had practiced with their little nieces more times than they could count. Sky took the finger in their hand with a hesitant shake, nodding to show they understood. Promise.

Flynn's mouth quirked into an awkward grin, gently scooping the human up and pulling them closer to his face. Skylar's heart hammered in their ears as their survival instincts took over, but they did their best to remain calm in the giant's grasp. He eyed them carefully, his oddly soft eyes filled with a combination of awe and concern as he looked them over. They weren't entirely sure why he was scrutinizing them so carefully, but soon enough he gave a short nod before pulling the human to his chest.

A small squeak of surprise escaped the scientist's throat, and Flynn quickly pulled his hands back a bit to peer down at them. His brows were creased with worry, and Sky belatedly realized he was afraid they had been hurt.

“Ah, no, I— I'm ok! Just… shocked, is all!”

The Slayer heaved a sigh of relief before pressing them to his chest again, this time careful to move slowly as he curled himself around the tiny human. Sky's brain conjured flashbacks of being held in a dark, cramped prison of flesh and metal, trapped between a hungry giant and a horde of demons, but they shook the thoughts away and tried to focus their attention on the giant's pulse. It was then they noticed how the gentle hands caressing their form were shaking, the massive lungs in Flynn's chest drawing in quivering breaths while his heart hammered rapidly to their right.

He's… he's just as afraid as I am…?

Chapter Text

VEGA was pleased with the results of his small intervention. Sky was seemingly warming up to the Slayer, and the Slayer— or Flynn, the AI supposed he should be calling him— seemed to be in better shape after his brief rest. At one point the giant had taken their small friend to lay in his oversized bed, with one hand cradling the human's torso while the other rested on his stomach just below them.

Their steady breathing and lowered heart rate suggested that the scientist had fallen asleep, while the Doom Marine was merely resting his eyes. VEGA surmised he was afraid of hurting the smaller person in his sleep. Still, any rest was good when it came to his stubborn companion, so he found no reason to complain. Though there was still something the AI needed to clear up…

“Doomslayer?” He paused, observing the reaction he received from the name and trying to parse if the Doom Marine actually disliked the title. Though all he got in return was the same casual acknowledgement as always; a soft hum and an inquisitive, half-lidded glance towards the nearest camera. Well, that wasn't very informative…

“Do you not like the name ‘Slayer’? I have been referring to you this way for so long, and I've never noticed a particularly negative reaction, so why did you stop me from using it before?”

Flynn heaved a gentle sigh, slowly pulling himself into a slightly more upright position as he reached for the tablet he had set nearby, checking that his small friend was still comfortable before beginning to type.

‘Don't mind it, but I thought… I didn't want to scare our friend. Thought it might sound too intimidating. They were already so afraid...’

VEGA thought on it for a second before responding, considering his response. The man did have a point: the name Slayer doesn't exactly scream comfort. Still, it was his name, wasn't it? The humans surely knew him that way, so why change it now?

“I see. Though, if I may ask: why Flynn? I was under the impression you didn't remember your birth name, and there are so many to choose from that might be more suitable, so… why that one?”

The giant shrugged, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth as he typed.

‘I dunno. Flynn Taggart is as good a name as any, it brings me comfort… why not? Unless you got a better one?’

VEGA mimicked a thoughtful hum, briefly running through the possibilities before he spoke.

“John Doe, perhaps?”

Flynn's shoulders gently shook with a low chuckle, shaking his head fondly.

‘Yeah, I guess that does make sense. I dunno, Flynn just felt… right, I guess? I've been using it for myself for a while, just never really felt the need to bring it up. It makes me feel… happy.’

“I believe I understand. May I ask one last question?”

‘I'm all ears, V.’

“Would you prefer it if I changed your name in my database to Flynn Taggart? I want to ensure you are comfortable with how I refer to you from this point on. Is that alright?”

Flynn thought for a moment before nodding with a gentle grin, and the files were changed appropriately.

‘Ok, my turn: do you know our friend's chosen name? Their UAC files didn't mention a preferred name or pronouns…’

He glanced down at the slumbering human with a slight scowl, quietly growling in displeasure at the company's blatant disrespect.

“Of course; I had updated their file in my memory banks when I first heard of their transition. They go by Skylar, and prefer to be referred to by they/them. Though, I still recommend asking them directly, in case my data is out of date.”

Flynn nodded, opening his copy of the UAC profile and manually crossing the name out and writing in the new one, with their pronouns scribbled to the side. Once that was done, he began practicing signing it until he was seemingly satisfied, and he settled back into his mattress with a grin.

‘Thanks, V. I'll ask when they wake up. Now, what was it you wanted to tell me before, about the next mission?’

“Yes, of course. There is a 41.3% increase of demonic activity at the nexus of the initial invasion. That is the largest gore nest on Earth. I will set the portal coordinates for the Super Gore Nest once we ensure our guest has gotten settled in and had something to eat.”

The Doomslayer nodded before signing an ‘OK’ , which VEGA curiously filed for later. Typically he would have raised some form of complaint when the AI put personal care over the mission, but when the concern was phrased as though it was intended for Sky, he didn't fuss at all. Interesting…

—

The Slayer continued typing away at his tablet, making notes on Skylar's injuries and how to treat them. Whenever he chanced a glance down at the little guy his heart flew into his throat and his stomach turned in knots. He had plenty of experience handling the Night Sentinels during his time on Argent D'nur, but this… this human felt so small in his hands; so delicate. It was far more nerve-racking than he would like to admit.

The whole night had been… less than ideal. Whenever he had finally relaxed enough to drift towards unconsciousness, visions of his past dragged him back to awareness. He had grown used to having constant dreams of the Divinity Machine, but this… this was something he hadn't faced since his time on Mars.

He saw visions of his comrades running in fear, screaming for his help while he watched helplessly from the sidelines. Scorching hot metal chains dug into his neck and wrists as he fought to save them, to scoop them into his arms and whisk them away to safety as he had countless times before. One by one they were torn apart by demons. Then, once their screams died down, the chains would finally snap, but it was already over. He couldn't reach them until it was too late…

He would usually wake up before the worst of it, but the echoes of his past still haunted him. He tried to focus on the present instead, honing his senses on the warm weight of the small human resting on his chest. He could feel them tossing and turning through the night, he heard each whimper of pain when they accidentally grazed their injuries. Each shaking breath or twitch while he slipped in and out of half-sleep. And their heartbeat. He could feel every skip in their pulse, every time it sped up or slowed in time with their dreams. He couldn't help but wonder how many of their nightmares featured him…

Now the human was sleeping peacefully, curled under the warmth of his palm, their heart rate steady. There was still a bit of struggle in their breathing, and he made a quick note to give them a proper health assessment later. He didn't think about it in his panic the night before, but there was a very real risk of the infection developing into pneumonia, which would need immediate treatment. Maybe VEGA could run some tests while he was out?

‘Can you adjust the parameters of the fabricator to run a full medical scan on Sky? I'm worried their infection may have spread to the lungs.’

“Of course, I will begin making the proper adjustments now.”

He hummed with a curt nod, closing out the chatroom and leaning his head back with a huff. He would let his new friend rest a bit longer, so he might as well rest his eyes too.

He snapped back to attention when a soft groan met his ears, reflexively tensing as the human shifted into a sitting position.

“Ugh… Where…?”

He watched carefully as they looked around the room, their muscles tensing as they registered where they were and what had happened the day before. It felt like an eternity passed as they slowly scanned the room, and the Doomslayer let out a breath he hadn't noticed he was holding when those wide eyes finally met his own. He was close enough to make out their light brown hue.

They let out an undignified squeak as they retreated into the relative safety of his hand. He couldn't help but chuckle at the little human. They were so skittish… It reminded him of Daisy.

“Good morning, Dr. McKinnon. How are you feeling?”

He stifled a growl while he glared at the approaching drone, mentally cursing at the little robot. Did VEGA really need to butt in whenever he had a moment to bond with the little guy? Though, if it helped them feel more comfortable, he supposed having the AI hovering around couldn't hurt.

“I— I'm fine! Just… ah, give me a moment? I wasn't expecting to wake up to… this… ” They peeked out from between his fingers, small hands resting lightly on his thumb. Cute.

He slowly raised his free hand, holding it up by his face so the little guy could hopefully make out the signs.

‘Take as long as you need.’

A small nod let him know he was understood, and he gave them what he hoped was a reassuring smile in response.

Saving the Earth could wait a few more minutes, he supposed.