Slay the Hierarchy

Fading

Trigger warnings: murder, violence.

For an AI, Vega saw plenty things in his 'lifetime'.

Experimentation on demons? Check. Several expeditions to Hell? Check. A massacre on Mars UAC? Check. A green-armoured marine that had been entombed for an indefinite number of years tear through the hellish hordes, only to be unceremoniously sent to another dimension?

As oddly specific as that was, check.

But for all Vega's extensive knowledge and learning capabilities, he was still learning. An aspect he'd almost forgotten entirely until he found himself standing in the Fortress of Doom hours after Princess Daisy's departure, blinking quizzically at the Slayer who alternated between bench presses, push ups, more digging in the lower chambers, and then... pacing. Pacing back and forth restlessly, menacingly.

The last time he saw him this afflicted by anything was when Dr. Hayden had coveted the Crucible from him. But this was different somehow. He seemed tense. And dare Vega say, worried.

'I believe Her Highness may have encountered an improbability, Slayer.'

The words were the only thing that seemed to give him pause as the Slayer stopped mid-lift, glaring so grievously at the opposing wall, any longer and he may have burned a hole through the steel. The AI incarnate turned to one of the screens he doctored his system on, typing furiously as he spoke.

'After running diagnostics, it is probable that within the 3 hours and 27 minutes unassigned to this mission, the possibility of Her Highness having been captured is increasingly high, at a percentage of 98.9. Incarcerated, at 78%. Neutralised, at 55%.'

The possibility seemed to shift something in him. It certainly shifted something in the room as well, quite literally; the ground shuddering as Vega turned to look, staring at nothing but the chink in the floor the heavy weight dealt from having being abandoned. The Slayer was nowhere to be found...

That is, not until minutes later in the Praetor Suit and with the Super Shotgun in hand. Vega could scarcely hide a smile at the sight.

'... After recalculating, it would seem the probability of retrieving the princess alive has greatly accelerated.'

All the royal palace anticipated for the day were performers to steal the king's interest. It was a tiresome practice, but it maintained a happy populace, even if for the short time allotted for the event once a year.

So it went without saying that no one expected the sixth princess to invade the palace basement. They didn't expect to find a red, otherworldly sword either.

More importantly, no one said anything about a mad and ruthless green knight. One that could smash through walls like haystacks, no less!

'A-alarum! Sound the alarm!' 

'By God, the walls! How is he--!?'

The guards screamed in terror as they looked back into the palace dungeons, missing the last few steps upon laying eyes on the towering sight of the intruder. They'd never seen a man so big before. A man capable of instilling in them a similar dread the demons in the dungeons had... well, assuming he was a man. Because nothing about him seemed that way!

If the sight of him wasn't enough, the hulking figure reached for one of the fallen guards who let out a pitiful squeal as he dangled in the air.

'P-please! Mercy! Have mercy!'