1 The God of Death

A hot wind blows across the dessert floor, kicking up dust and grains of sand. There is no relief from the sun as the skies are devoid of clouds and the heat beats down heavy on the world below it. Aside from a few rock formations, there was nothing for miles.

That is, except for a large military outpost that sat in the middle of all this nothingness.

There was a heavy presence within the outpost as well as snipers at all the corners. It's clear they were on the lookout for something. One sniper in particular, Lt. Rodgers, had fallen asleep while looking through the scope of his rifle. Light snores can be heard as a looming shadow cast over him.

"Lieutenant!!"

The lieutenant quickly snapped back awake and firmly grasped his gun as the Captain stood behind him – his large frame blocking out all light.

"Sorry, sir! Didn't sleep well last night!"

"Well we'll all be in for an longgg sleep if something gets by your watch. Don't gamble our lives on your poor choices."

"Of course, Captain. Won't happen again."

The Captain simply nodded and then walked off. The lieutenant continued to scan the area through the scope of his rifle.

"These long watch rotations will be the death of us. I can barely keep my eyes open…"

He could see a large rock formation through his scope in the distance. As he moved it a little to the right, his eyes fell upon a figure that was standing still amidst all the dust and sand. He blinked a few times to ensure it wasn't an illusion induced by lack of sleep or the elements playing tricks on his eyes.

The figure was still there.

"H-hey! I have something over here!"

One of the other snipers quickly came to his side, his rifle clenched tight in his hand.

"Is it one of them??"

"It's too far to confirm. Over there," he pointed his finger out towards the cliff formation in the distance, "check through your scope in that direction."

The sniper did as instructed and pointed his rifle in that direction. A few clicks could be heard as he adjusted the zoom via the dial on the back of the scope.

"Well, what do you think?"

"I think...the desert is playing with your eyes." He lowered his rifle by his side. "There's nothing there, Rodgers."

"Wait what? No, I swear -", Lt. Rodgers checked through his scope again.

There was only desert. The figure was no longer there.

"I....there was definitely something there..."

The sniper patted his shoulder. "It was probably a fox. Or meerkat. Or something else tasty."

"We both know there's no more wild fauna out here. They've already feasted on them all." But the other sniper had already walked off and was mumbling what sounded like dishes to himself.

"Damn this desert."

Lt. Rodgers propped his rifle back up and returned to the scope.

(((((...Run.....)))))

A single crack was across the lens of the scope.

"Huh?" His vision became tinted with red. "Wha..t...t.."

His rifle unraveled into pieces like a ribbon. Then his arms. Then the rest of his body. Blood sprayed in every direction and coated a figure standing behind the heap of flesh that was once Lt. Rodgers.

A tall creature cloaked in black stood with his arm raised high in the air with sharp claws positioned at the end of them. Bone plated armor sat around its shoulders and parts of its chest.Bull-like horns were fixated on his head and sharp bones stretched out from either of it's elbows. There was a swishing sound as the two long tails it had moved back and forth with more sharp bones at the end of each tail.

It looked upon the remaining snipers with it's 4 eyes, Lt. Rodger's blood dripping down its body. Fear was etched into each of their faces.

(((((How long has it been....)))))

Urine began leaking down the leg of one of the snipers as they back up trembling.

"My god....it's a reaper..."

(((((How long has it been...)))))

One of the other snipers quickly raises his rifle and points it at him. His eyes were wide and his breathing quick.

"Come on guys! Where is your resolve?!" He eyes the creature through his cope, beads of sweat running down his face.

(((((How long.....has...it been.....)))))

"Here and now! We kill this devil! We kill Azrael!!"

His eyes remained wide and intense, as his head floated away from his body. The creature known as Azrael stood in front of the body as it fell to the ground with it's arm stretched to the side. It's claws dipped in fresh blood.

"I-I-I didn't even see it move....!" One of the snipers said, rooted to the spot. He could no longer find the

courage to move. Only fear remained inside of him.

(((((How long has it been....since I've become numb to the sight of blood and ripped flesh...)))))

Azrael lunged forward as a blur and impaled the fear stricken sniper through the chest with both sets of claws. It thrusted upwards, severing his top body in half as if it was peeling a banana.

"Ahhhhhh!!!" One of the remaining snipers let loose several bullets in quick succession. The Reaper easily weaved each shot as if it could see it all in slow motion.

(((((It's always the same....the helpless faces...the useless tactics...it all fades away....)))))

The last two snipers huddled up and begin shooting off bullets. Before the first bullet had even left the chamber, Azrael had leaped through the gap between them and wrapped it's tails around each of their necks.

CRACK.

Two simultaneous cracks can be heard as their heads slumped to the side and they fell to the ground.

(((((in the face of true despair...)))))

"GAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" The reaper belted out a ground shaking cry as its bloody spoils laid strewn out before it.

It pressed it's body down low to the ground on all fours, snarling its two rows of teeth while building up tension in its limbs. With a resounding THUD it kicked off from the group and launched itself into the air, high above the outpost.

The soldiers scattering around the fort looked towards the heavens as it reached the apex of it's jump high above and momentarily seemed to float.

The captain pointed angrily at the speck in the sky, "Someone shoot the motherfucker already!". A hail of bullets rain upwards.

(((((What is wrong with these people? Don't they understand that only death awaits them? Why don't....they just....)))))

As if the air was made out of solid ground, it kicked off in the air and plummeted straight down.

(((((Run.)))))

"Look out!!"

An explosion of dust and stone scatters throughout the fort. The soldiers grab on to what they can while others are blown every which way. The captain is behind a wall with his rifle clutched tightly.

"Like hell you're getting out of here alive, reaper."

An unknown liquid dripped down on the Captain's head. Then another.

"What the..."

The Captain looked up and was met with the gaze of 4 hungry eyes.

"You-!"

Azrael swooped his arms down and impaled both sides of the Captain's neck. Sprays of blood coated the walls and surrounding soldiers.

"C-captain...."

"Ahhhhhh!!!"

The remaining soldiers drop their weapons and run off in various directions to escape the carnage.

(((((There are no more strategies. No more weapons. We.....It.....can't be stopped. Its been like this for 2 years. 2 years of insatiable violence.)))))

The creature hunched down over the Captain's body and begin to tear the flesh from his back and consuming it. A snap could be heard as it bit right through the spine as if it was a thin cracker.

((((((It….we…are beyond forgiveness. We are, Azrael)))))

WHIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

The creature looked up as a loud whirring sound came from above. A large military grade helicopter was positioned in the sky above the base. It had dual propellers which were creating a strong gust below and kicking up dust. Dust which had irritated and interrupted The Reaper's meal.

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."

Its face wrinkled in anger as it bared its teeth at the hovering helicopter. Across the side of it in large letters read "Alpha".

(((((These guys again….)))))

The helicopter turned 90 degrees so that the back of it faced the base. The backdoor ramp slowly dropped open and 2 young men could be seen standing at the edge of the rear opening. One with an afro shaved into a mohawk with faded sides.

""Well, Sgt. Haji, did we make it in time?" Next to him stood another man with a similar military uniform and long blonde hair tied off into a ponytail. Both wore an open jacket with a gray/black shirt underneath and what appeared to be a harness strapped around their shoulders.

The blonde guy had a number zero on both shoulders whereas Haji only had an A with the military insignia behind it.

"I've told you several times now not to act so familiar with me, Zero. Staff Sgt is just fine. And no, we didn't."

Zero looked down at the carnage and rubble below. Him and the reaper briefly locked eyes.

"So you're the famed mass murdering reaper Azrael, eh?" Zero whispered under his breath.

"Don't get any rash ideas, Zero." A third person appeared out from the darkness of the helicopter sporting the same uniform. His jacket was green and he wore a green cap that bore down upon his messy black hair. His eyes had a milky look to them.

"Cut me some slack there, Captain. I'm not much of an ace fighter if I have to rely on you all the time." A smug look was etched into his face.

Haji placed his hand on the shoulder of the one in green. "One, you'll be running support as usual from the ground. If we're going to take this beast down it'll take all of us."

One sported a half smile. "You can count on me. Though I wish we would've brought the others. This isn't the kind of fight you win with just a few elites."

Zero walked closer to the edge of the ramp, his ponytail swaying heavily in the wind. "Quite the opposite, Captain! Now we can do our best work without anyone slowing us down. Then we get to go back as the heroes who brought down the God of Death."

A faint golden glow began to emit from around Zero.

The smile disappeared. "I'll bring back whatever's left as a trophy."

The Reaper suddenly stood up on twos and glared at the back of the helicopter.

(((((Why does it feel like every part of us is on edge right now?...Who is that blonde guy? He wasn't with them last time.)))))

Zero leapt off the back of the helicopter without a parachute.

Haji quickly tried to grab him, "Wait a second!"

His hand felt nothing but air as Zero fell out of his reach.

"Clench your teeth Reaper, because this ones gonna hurt!"