But For Him, It Was Tuesday: A Doom-Mates Story

> Another day, another street.
> Humans and demons of all stripes all going about their lives.
> Without warning a sound like bagpipes torturing sheet metal rends the air.
> Demons wince as human heads turn almost as one.
> Hanging in the air is something all recognise, though only the demons from experience.
> An opening Portal to Hell.
> It wobbles and shudders then stabilises, a view of Hell expanding from a pinprick to a gaping hole.
> From the other side comes the unmistakable roar of gunfire.
> The baying of an angry shotgun.
> The scream of a furious plasma rifle.
> Those on the street can't help but react.
> Human hearts beat faster as adrenaline begins to flow.
> Imps crouch, muscles taunt and fingers curled.
> Cacos feel tingles in their throats and lightning begins to spark.
> Pain Elementals call their Souls in close, the small entities twitching with shared agitation.
> The lone Hell Knight steps forwards, placing his ebony bulk between the portal and others.
> Just as the portal opens wide enough for a clear look at the connected plane it is obscured as first one then many forms swarm through.
> Imps. First and Fourth Plane.
> They dash through to martian soil, heads ducked under their arms, some giving wails of distress.
> The martians were still as if frozen solid with surprise.
> More and more Imps come through as the gunfire echos on, punctuated now by booming explosions.
> Finally after some two dozen Imps have come through a trio appears.
> A pair of Vulgar Imps flanking a Maggot. The slightly smaller pair are almost carrying the twin-headed demon, who bore eye watering burns to both legs.
> Finally a Summon slid through the rent in reality after the third plane demons.
> But then it stopped and turned back looking to where it had come from.
> And all gathered around could see what the fleeing demons had obscured.
> A man.
> Clad in green plated armour, bearing guns almost as legendary as the man himself.
> The Slayer.
> The Summoner reached out a ruddy hand in offering.
> But The Slayer gave only a small shake of his head, as if reluctant or sad.
> And then with a single bound he was gone.
> As if on cue the portal rippled and winked shut with an almost wet sound.
> Finally the residents of Mars shook themselves and moved in with questions and offers of help on their lips.
> The martians found themselves beset by tearful Imps, sobbing exclamations of disbelief and joy.
> A bare minute later a USC response team arrived and took control of the situation.
> Pleasantly surprised with emotional refugees instead of deadly invaders the team called in for reinforcements.
> Soon the demons were bundled away to a USC facility for processing, rest, recovery and time to consider their options.
> For the humans who had been on the street it was a wild story to share; demons fleeing from their own kind and coming to Mars!
> But for those martian demons it was of far greater import.
> They had seen The Slayer.
> And he had wielded his unstoppable might to protect those who sought the better life of Mars.
> For so many of the immigrants it was a relief to a fear they hadn't known they carried.
> For now they knew.
> Even if the Legions of Hell came to wreak bloody vengeance on those who had chosen a different path.
> The Slayer would protect them.
> Demons who had once set themselves against him would in turn be shielded by his strength if they were willing to set aside their old ways.
> And in the dark places of Mars a unfocused group metamorphosed into a united Cult.
> So began the Cult of The Slayer.