Chapter 2: Inevitable

"…..really, what the fuck is happening?"

The grip on him crooked loose, maybe the marine thought a cripple like him could do nothing, well that was definitely the case as what could he do, except be confused about the circumstance, he still thought this was still a dream, fire and mayhem blending everywhere he gazed. But it seemed so real and authentic, his stale blood boiling after so long. First time in ages, he felt the thrill, he thought he had enough of war, enough with all the killing, but it seems not, from his juvenile childhood to his adultery, the only thing he did was pledge fights, kill, and butcher whatever came in his path. And before he knew it, his mind and body had already been accustomed to this world, this world which only knew war.

He gawked towards the hands of death, which dealt with the mythical demons on such short notice, maybe the demons weren't that much of a threat than he had heard of or the angels were that much more powerful.

He had asked many questions but was not avail to answer, they only walked around, still scanning the slums and what was left of his room. He didn't care as much, as what more could an old man as himself do?

But a sudden sight jerked his mind, the book he had just read, littered on the floor, not even a single scratch on its cover. He was simply amazed at how it could survive the mayhem which just occurred, he tapped on the iron skin, pointing his finger at the book, but that too did not avail any reaction.

'haaa…..I will do it myself.'

Taking matters into his own hands, He stalled his body, waiting for his moment, the marine who was holding him like a coat, was similarly scanning the place around. And he thought he would walk toward the book eventually, he just had to be patient. Patient and ready to act at the right moment.

'......now.'

He jerked his body, timing it so perfectly that even he was surprised, falling down from the hands of the angel. He fell on the debris, hitting hard on the floor, he quickly shaft his remaining hand towards the book before the angel took him again, as he knew, he wouldn't get a second chance.

He finally held the book, accomplishing what he left out to do. "…..got it…haha."

He peeked back at the marine, thinking of giving him a smug look, but he could only see a hand reaching out to him and his bolster gun aiming at him.

Bang!

He felt it again, his raging instincts riling him up. He didn't need to look back, he didn't need to panic as the bullet wasn't for him, sensing a feeling of grip behind him where he had thought to be a debris-filled floor.

His eyes gradually saw, a stale and monstrous hand encasing him from behind, not one, not two, he didn't have the time to count but there were many, lean hands encasing his whole body, on their way to pull him down like he was drowning in water.

"…..fuck."

He felt the grip, felt the pull, drowning his body to where he had no idea off.

{…..*@#$*@...fin…#@%...ally….}

He had his suspicion but It was indeed another demon, speaking languages he had never heard of, and the place he seems to be falling into was indeed what they call the immaterium, the warp.

"haaaa…..should have stayed tucked in," he said with a tinge of regret.

He kept falling and falling, the slippery hands lurking around his body, he had a hint of doubt that the demons were targeting him from the very start, which confused him to no end, he had nothing to offer, not even to the demons.

But he stopped thinking midway, gradually closing his eyes. that was it, that was the end, he didn't know what would happen to him, maybe something heinous, something grievous, or simple death. Nothing mattered as it was all over.

Bang! Bang!

The same gunshots, he heard the matching barrages, his hopeless eyes gazing in awe at one of the marines falling towards him. it was only one but his heartbeat rose, as the bullets wrecked the demon behind him, feeling the grip getting lose. He reached out his hand, his body still falling within this infinite realm, and hopefully, the marine did the same, his iron and cold hands, reaching towards him.

"….I'm sorry." He said, still falling.

The iron-clad angel only reached out, his thrusters powering up, pushing him to fall further down. the demon behind the old man had churned to charcoal, but the realm itself started to change, starting to cluster into different colors, it lapsed, somehow matching the heartbeat of the man, with his every beat of heart, the realm itself would start changing.

But that mattered not to him, his hand only an inch away from the marines.

"Got you." Echoed the marine.

it was rugged, it was deep, his voice resounding similar to a normal man. "so you could speak….?" The old man asked, with a wisp of a smile.

"…..not much." The marine replied. His helmet starting to crack. "…I don't know how you are still alive, still able to speak…. inside this wretched realm."

They were still falling, the depth still not clear, there wasn't a sky, there was no ground, and their surroundings lapsed with every color imaginable. He didn't know how to reply, to such an ambiguous opinion, he was still breathing, thinking, signs of a man still living. But something felt odd, he felt somehow refreshed, his lungs opening up, breathing like the young man he used to be.

He judged it to be odd indeed, having an opposite effect on his counter, looking at his helmet cracking, as one of his red lenses started to blip.

"…..you ok?" the old man asked.

Something was happening within this place, this place what they call the warp, harming the shields of the angel himself. he waited, no reply to be heard, passing second after second, thinking he would eventually answer, but the arm holding his turn lose once more.

His brow turned tense from this gesture as he climbed towards his helmet. "Hey….Hey!" he shouted.

Hearing no reply, he turned even more concerned. Clashing his hand on the helmet, but the pain of his hand brought no response to his avail.

[{…..piss….}]

A whisper echoed in his ear out of nowhere, a whisper so quiet but strangely loud, that his simple mind couldn't process it. he gazed around, trying to see if another demon was at his hands, no, there was not. Only infinite horizon, with vague images and color, somehow matching his emotional state.

[{....piss….interesting…. }], again the voice whispered.

The old man was now sure, something was there, he wanted to shout to the marine, to wake up, bellowing their new trouble in hand, but it seems, the iron-clad marine had already turned lifeless as his whole body now looked stale.

"….who are you? What do you want?!" he shouted, his voice reverberating within the realm.

[{hahahaha….Glad you asked…..I am the watcher, I am the one who waits for you at the edge of sanity, I am the puppeteer of every mortal tune. I am @$%&*…..and you my dear puppet, don't belong here.}] he declared.

Clap!

The old man's ear reverberated, with the warp molding to a degree, he looked down, the hollow darkness appearing out of nowhere, he could see it, feel it, the pitch black symbolling his end, the eventual hard floor of his infinite fall.

He gazed at his side, who had risked his life trying to save his own, which he had thought utterly hopeless. "thank you, for saving this sack of carcass and bone." He thankfully whispered, closing his eyes.

He fell and fell, with the marine by his side, devoured by the darkness's pitch-black hide. He reminisced, how it all occurred, and remembered, the book which he so adored.

'…..I wish I could had finish it…' he lastly thought, his conscious layering down to a knot.