The Slayer takes a little detour to 'Sokyo part two

[Chapter Two: Stranger in a strange Eastern wonderland]

The Doom Slayer trudged along at a quick pace, senses primed and peeled for anything or anyone as he moved with semi-purpose through this seemingly normal and as of yet identified place he had found himself in. His recent “friendly welcome” by an apparent and monstrous local was still fresh in his mind. He had certainly expended the rocket ammo for it and even lost some armor charge, Rumia’s energy attacks having done some chip damage to him. Surely it was nothing a Flame Belch or some battlefield scavenging couldn’t fix, the wandering marine still having plenty to work with as he spared a glance to his Heads-Up Display and its readout. HEALTH was full and ARMOR was resting at a nice 135/150 AND he still had 4 Extra Lives to stay death’s hand.

Self-check had the man would take a moment to look at his auto-map. There were no points of interest to note just yet by either him or VEGA. The Slayer would close the map to take another glance around the as of now peaceful setting, untamed nature all around him and the grassy field he stood at. Not too distant mountains could be observed that were also dotted with verdant vegetation, still setting sun giving the landscape a warm orange coloration.

Not that he was here to sightsee even if the hard hearted man would quietly admit to himself it was picturesque, the vigilant marine pressing forward once again as his AI partner offered his own input.

“I still cannot ascertain our current location. However, additional scans have resulted in new intel, or rather the lack of information from it. There appears to be a manner of interference within the region that is preventing not just radio communication between us and the Fortress of Doom, but even accessing and utilizing Slipgates.”

So, some type of very advanced Faraday Cage had them cut off, the marine grunting at the bit of exposition his e-buddy provided him. It only added to the mystery of this ongoing SNAFU both man and machine found themselves dealing with, Doomguy also wondering what Dr. Hayden was thinking of it all and what they may even be doing on his end.

“In any event I will do what I can to overcome the interference and reestablish contact with the Fortress while gathering local information as we come across it. Thus far, I speculate we are somewhere in East Asia on Earth.”

Not even a grunt from the taciturn hulk as he stayed focused on his darkening surroundings. VEGA had his own emerging theories on the manner of the communication and travel obstruction but the adept AI knew enough about his human partner that he wasn’t too keen on hearing about quantum science and such. They both had their jobs to do and were content with their tasks.

As he kept quietly pressing forward the Doom Slayer couldn’t help but get the feeling he was being… watched, darting eyes seeing nothing suspicious to vindicate his vigilance. He was getting ready to have VEGA run a more in-depth scan to see if there was something even his superhuman senses were failing to pick up on when he noticed movement coming from a nearby tree line.

Focusing his gaze what would emerge from the trees was no girl or even a beast he could immediately recognize, but a bunch of white and melon-sized fuzzy puffballs that floated like dandelions on the windless evening.

Gut instinct told the Slayer that despite their innocuous appearances these things were going to be trouble, muscles tensing slightly beneath his armor as they silently approached him. His feelings would be proven right when the lead entity would belt out a few off-white glowing spheres! More would soon follow from the others, around a dozen energy balls flying for him now. Like flipping a switch the Doom Marine would burst into rapid and decisive action as yet another fight began between him and these natives.

A grenade would be shot out from his shoulder-mounted Equipment Launcher towards the floating throng as he made a side-dash and sprint to avoid the projectiles while whipping out his Plasma Rifle. The crimson and smoking explosive would land on the grassy ground underneath the creatures before exploding with terrible force to wipe out several in the initial burst, cluster munitions from the deadly blast ensuring follow-up destruction that smoked a few more. What few that weren’t fragged from the detonations would fire on the sprinting and evasive human, their speed and simple straight patterns hardly a challenge for the combat vet as he outrun them, clods of grass and dirt exploding in his wake as they struck the ground. Doomguy would be swift to return fire of his own, Plasma Rifle spitting out a flurry of azure-colored superheated gas at his foes.

The nameless and faceless mobs would naturally be destroyed in short order, hardly a trace left behind from the impacts that struck them. The Slayer would keep running about for a short moment, expecting more to come and confront him. When nothing came, he would allow himself a moment to relax, although he kept alert with his weapon held in hand. As was customary by now, a new Codex entry would be had that popped up on his HUD, VEGA having done his usual work to assist in compiling combat information. Opening the file would show the entities he had just slain were identified as simple youkai known as “Kedama”. Quite literally “hairballs” in Japanese.

Taking a moment to digest the latest bit of intel, it helped to reinforce VEGA’s earlier speculation that they were somewhere in Asia. Japan specifically. Although it was wholly unfamiliar to the AI based off of what they knew which only further fueled the odd nature of this land, the additional presence of these monsters adding to it all.
Not that it would deter the Doom Slayer here. Quite the opposite, the gaijin now just more determined to learn more and figure this place out if only to get back on track with his real mission of stopping Hell. Although he wouldn’t be averse to putting down these oriental abominations that got in his way, the latest spat proving as much.
Speaking of which it would seem the noise of said fight had attracted more to his position, white-colored spheres coming into view deeper within the trees that grew larger in number and closer to the intruding human. By his reckoning the latest batch was at least twice as big as the initial attack force.

Doomguy of course wouldn’t wait around for them to get the first shots off, the Kedamas having been classed as hostile and would be treated as such. He would raise his gun once more and open fire with deadly accuracy, the closest youkai getting vaporized while others who were spared the wrathful man’s opening deluge jockeyed into attack range and positions of their own before returning fire with their own projectiles. It was another dangerous dance and one that the marine intended on winning as he moved with crazed evasiveness that had made him notorious amongst the Slaves of Doom and would soon be known to these monsters, the sound of cacophonous battle echoing across the dusky wilderness and carrying across the countryside.
His rapid fire weapon and the accuracy of its shooter ensured the swarm would be burnt down in almost no time, the numerous yet weak things being destroyed with relative ease that rivaled the fodder zombies he usually dealt with, their projectiles not even grazing the fleet-footed human. Almost as quickly as the fight began it would come to a brutal end as the running and gunning Slayer blasted the last Kedama with his energy weapon, the air now thick with the heated scent of burning plasma and hair. The man responsible for it was hardly fazed by the smell even through his helmet filters. He had certainly been subjected to worse in Hell, the now lone killer taking a moment to look around to see if anything else would try to attack or otherwise accost him.

When nothing came the victorious Doom Marine would opt to press on once more. Although the feeling of being watched never really left him either even after dispatching the latest gaggle of monsters, the feeling of eyes on him making the hyper-vigilant warrior do a quick sweep to see nothing of note. VEGA would even confirm as much via an immediate area scan using his sophisticated sensor suite and the Praetor Suit’s own devices, although there was the occasional odd discrepancy detected by the AI that he couldn’t readily quantify beyond a possible technical issue. It only served to reinforce the marine’s vigilance as he cast another glance around the beautiful yet dangerous landscape, the pleasant environment hardly putting him at ease.

Shaking his head, Doomguy would resume his sprint forward along a nonexistent path to wherever his boots would take him next. He almost wished there was an auto-map station to give him a better idea on where the Hell he was or where to go next but as usual, marines like him made due, and this wasn’t the first or last time he would tread through unknown territory.

Eventually his travels would force him to head through the increasingly encroaching forest that closed in on his way forward, the once clear path ahead now being choked with more and more trees. VEGA would idly note that most of them were the Japanese variety of larch and pine but to the simpler man they were just obstacles. And as tempting as it was to use his buzzsaw on them to clear the way ahead the Slayer would refrain as he moved past and between the trees, their leaves casting shade that only served to darken his surroundings as dusk turned closer to night and he plunged into the nameless forest.

The Doom Slayer’s sharp eyes would peer through his dark environment as he sprinted forward to a still as of yet known destination. No wildlife or youkai in sight yet either, the chittering and buzzing of evening insects growing louder and serving as background noise for the lone wanderer, some of which would be mindlessly crushed under boot. Not that he really cared or even paid much attention to, the man’s mind on entirely different and more important matters like figuring out where he was and where to go next. Perhaps someone could put him in the right direction, namely a short and humanish figure that came into view in the growing gloom. Although given the last “human” he had encountered not long ago, the Slayer had a sneaking suspicion they weren’t a normal person either.

Grunting at the thought he would approach the stranger at their back, the foreign man noticing the large presence of fireflies flying in a seemingly coordinated fashion around the person. His eyes would narrow slightly when he also noticed what looked like antennas atop their short teal hair. Whoever, or whatever, they were the person remained oblivious to his unsubtle presence as they spoke aloud to themselves.

“Ah, another wonderful concert. Perhaps I shall put on another one? Hm, if only humans could appreciate such little things.”

The girlish sounding “person” might just get an audience just yet, Doomguy boring holes into the back of her antenna’d head. And she seemed to have felt the intruding man’s presence as she turned around to face the Doom Slayer, equally teal eyes widening a bit and semi-bent antennas going straight for a moment as she beheld his intimidating form in the darkening forest. The girl would even let out a small “eek!” and take a step back before gathering herself and putting on a brave face.

“What are you doing out here at dusk human? Don’t you know it’s dangerous for your ilk? You might just get attacked by a youkai, like me!”

The Slayer of course was hardly intimidated by this small and nebbish creature and her posturing, the hardened warrior merely raising an unconvinced brow that served to agitate the buggy brat. Her cheeks would even puff up a bit, winged cape flaring as she tried to assert herself over him.

“I’m serious human! You think because I’m smaller than you, you can just brush me off like a bug!?”

Doomguy would just give the creature a dismissive grunt. Again, not the least bit swayed or threatened by her. The disrespect towards her wasn’t doing much to put the increasingly surly girl at ease, hands tightening into fists as she stood her ground against the green giant.

“You know, you’re not dealing with any old youkai, human. I, Wriggle Nightbug, will show you the power of insects if you don’t apologize to me and-.”

The Doom Marine’s limited patience had quickly worn thin with this now named nuisance. And rather than try to maybe have VEGA talk her down or even go through an actual fight, he opted to shut her up with an Ice-Bomb from his Equipment Launcher. The frigid sphere would soar quickly towards the startled girl and explode all over her, cold sub-zero gasses dousing the braggart and snap-freezing her solid!

The Slayer wouldn’t even look back at her frozen form as he contemptuously stomped past her, the swarm of fireflies that had also been orbiting around their queen having suffered a similar fate. Adding insult to frostburnt injury, the uncaring jarhead would even crush a number of the frosted insects under boot. No doubt Wriggle would be furious at the act and would have done something about it were she not frozen solid. Still a better fate than what the last youkai had suffered at the Outsider’s gauntlets as Doomguy left her behind to chill out.

He would advance through the still darkening forest by his lonesome once more, sharp and enhanced eyes able to see well enough in the growing gloom as he was occasionally accosted by a rogue and generic Kedama. Of which he handled with trademark lethal efficiency, the cantankerous cotton balls being blasted with his Combat Shotgun, a spray from his Flame Belch netting a small return to top off his scratched armor reserves. He had just wasted yet another mob, the man wondering if he ought to try and Chainsaw one of them to get some ammo when VEGA piped up.

“Scans indicate that there is a large structure nearby a body of water. Your auto-map has been updated. I will continue to monitor the area and let you know of anything of note.”

Among other tasks, the adept artificial intelligence doing what he could to assist the Marine in this detoured assignment.
The man would take a moment to check his auto-map, the 3D model giving him a nice look ahead. What he saw was an as of yet named multistory building a few klicks away from his current position within the equally nameless forest. Ever curious and explore-happy, Doomguy quickly decided to investigate the joint. It beat wandering around a dark forest slaying a bunch of easy to kill monsters. Plus it might net him some damn intel on this land. Maybe even collect some needed material.

Like a collectible action figure.

Closing the interface the Doom Slayer would resume his sprint forward through the thicket of vegetation with relative ease. His speedy stride forward would eventually have him emerge from the tree line, slightly elevated position giving him a good view of his surroundings. By now the sun had largely set, a waxing half-moon peeking over the increasingly starry and partly cloudy horizon that gave the harmonious landscape a pale coloration. The moon reflected off of the body of water his AI had briefly mentioned, a fine mist hovering above its still and clear surface. And not far from the lake was the building of interest that had become his latest objective.

Doomguy would switch to his Heavy Cannon and using its powered telescopic sight get a better look at the structure. The exterior was surrounded by a high wall, fancy gardens decorating the outside as well. The building, a Western style mansion, was no less grandiose in its appearance. Red was the dominant if not sole color scheme he could observe even in this moonlit night. Everything from its walls to the paned windows was scarlet, a clock tower emerging from the center of the manor to only add to its lavishness. Whoever or whatever lived here certainly liked to live the high life, the Doom Marine continuing with his scoped sweep. No sign of any guards or other hazards just yet even in spite of the security wall meant to keep trespassers out, iron gate unattended at the moment.

Lowering his rifle the Slayer would begin to advance silently towards the place. Soon, the crimson belvedere would have one helluva guest.