12 | what went wrong [closed - backdated to the night of the 7th]

[alephbet]

Characters: Aleph and Sealand
Setting: Starting at the dorms first floor
Format: Actionspam
Summary: Aleph makes a questionable life decision allowing Sealand to accompany him monster-hunting. Then he makes a more questionable decision to get killed.
Warnings: Violence and death.

[If you really, seriously considered the worst case scenario and came up with 'we could all die', there was probably something wrong with what you were doing.

Oops. But he'd already promised Sealand he could come, so now all he could do was make sure he did all he could to keep him safe.

Just before nightfall, Aleph waited outside Sealand's door, dressed in armor and with his sword and guns on him. His Arm Terminal was strapped to his arm as usual, ready at a moment's notice to call his demons.

With any luck, they would find their targets quickly and be able to return to bed.

Aleph knocked on his door.] Sealand, are you ready?

Comments

[bydefacto]

[He looks up at the demon with some awe, eyes going wide before he laughs, grinning cheerfully.]

Woah! Hi, Anubis!

[He follows Aleph, keeping close by his side, becoming a little more nervous as darkness falls but reminding himself to be brave in front of his friend. As they leave the hallway, Sealand can already hear something from further down.]

[alephbet]

[Aleph hears it too, and draws his sword.

The floor contains a group of three Dusks. The white creatures twitch and focus on the approaching prey.

They're quick to attack - but Aleph is faster. With speed at the peak of human ability, he leaps into the fray. A normal sword wouldn't hurt them, he knows, but his magical sword is capable of slicing through one almost in half. Another tries to tear at him before he brings up his sword to block, and he trips the third and stomps on its neck.

He runs into these all the time. Come back when you're in a group of eight.]

[bydefacto]

[Sealand stops where he is when he sees the Dusks heading for the two of them, eyes going wide as he watches Aleph slice through the monsters with ease. It's like something from one of the TV shows he used to watch, but better, far more intense. And Aleph is a much better fighter than any of his TV heroes, Sealand has decided.]

Wow, woah, Aleph, that was amazing! [He runs over to his side once all three Dusks are dead.] You destroyed them! It was even better than the Power Rangers!

[alephbet]

[Aleph sheathes his sword again once he's done. He looks a little embarrassed at all the praise.] Well, I've had a lot of practice...

[Anubis follows Sealand close behind, and Aleph looks down the hallway.] It doesn't seem like there are others on this floor. Shall we get going?

[bydefacto]

[Sealand nods eagerly, looking up at Aleph as they begin walking further down the tower.]

The way you slashed that thing in half was amazing; I can't wait to do something like that! They didn't hurt you or anything, did they?

[alephbet]

No, I'm fine. If I was hurt, I'd just have Anubis patch me back up.

[bydefacto]

That's good.

[Sealand grins as they make their way further along, looking around for any-- what had Aleph called them? Orcs. Monsters with swords! If anything, the encounter with those creatures Aleph killed had eased his nerves, knowing how good of a fighter his friend is, and he walks ahead of Aleph a little.]

[alephbet]

No need to rush. We have the whole night.

[And Aleph would really prefer Sealand to be behind him...]

[bydefacto]

[He grins, speeding up if anything.]

I'm not rushing! I just wanna see the orcs!

[He comes to a halt a few seconds later, in the middle of floor ninety-nine, the smile falling from his face. Briefly, he sees something small move out of the corner of his eye, but it's soon gone and he wonders if it were there at all.

Something is definitely not right here. He can feel a tight knot in his stomach and is suddenly very, very sure Aleph hasn't been listening to a word he's been saying. Is barely even hearing him, in fact.]

[alephbet]

[Aleph knows something isn't right here, because his fears are a lot more visible and audible (though only to him).

Son of man who has committed the ultimate sin, I will visit ruin upon you and all those with you for what you have done to Me-

Aleph's first instinct is to summon everything, but he resists. There definitely is not a floating yellow head in front of him. It's impossible, so he tries to calm his racing heart.]

...Sealand, can you see anything strange here?

[He doesn't know Sealand can't hear him.]

[bydefacto]

[It seems much darker all of a sudden, but he can still see Aleph a little behind him through the gloom. Sealand doesn't hear the question, all he sees is a grim, angry expression on his friend's face.]

A-Aleph?

[He's terrified, frozen by fear. Aleph and everyone else have forgotten about him and he's going to be attacked by monsters alone in the dark.

He doesn't know how, but he's suddenly certain of that.]

[alephbet]

[That's not the answer Aleph wanted to hear. Aleph swallows his nerves and summons Beelzebub.

The giant fly that appears looks a little confused (as much as giant fly demons can) when Aleph asks.] Do you see what I'm seeing?

Nothing out of the ordinary. Though I do smell bug spray in this place.

[So it's a hallucination, then. He can just tune out the calls of an angry God about how he and everyone precious to him would suffer for eternity, and focus on whatever's causing this.

He searches for a minute, and he thinks he almost spots something small and dark darting away before a blast of magic almost rocks him off his feet, and feels very, very real.]

--Shit.

[Now is when Sealand will be able to see the giant yellow head attacking Aleph.]

[bydefacto]

[Sealand fears are almost entirely internal. It's dark, and he has an incredibly strong sense of not belonging... of being broken, as it hits him then that the few citizens he has are dead. Does that even make him a nation anymore? While Aleph searches, Sealand mostly stops where he is, sure that Aleph no longer wants to know him, moving briefly to grab the side of the cavern and tripping over his own feet. He can feel knots of fear claw in his chest.

He looks up when the he feels the ground shake, and sees the... the thing attacking Aleph.]

Aleph... A-Aleph! [And that's when he finds the strength to move, picking himself up off the floor and sprinting toward the giant monster that has appeared. Aleph might have forgotten about him, might not hear him anymore, and Sealand might not even be a nation any more, but he still needs to help his friend.

He runs toward it, not entirely sure what he's going to do -- rocket punch? --just knowing that he has to help.]

No-! No, leave him alone!

[Unfortunately that puts him right in the path of this giant, angry God.]

[alephbet]

Sealand--!

[Aleph sees Sealand run into danger and moves without thinking.

Sealand can't be hurt because of him. There's no way he would be able to face himself after that. That's why he doesn't hesitate to put himself in between the two of them.

Especially knowing exactly what God can do..]

Beelzebub, grab Sealand and go-

Die, scum of man!

[God lets out his voice.

And that's enough to kill anyone, human, demon, or angel. In front of Sealand, Aleph collapses in a heap, no longer able to support himslf now that he's died.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sealand may see a small demon about half a foot high, skitering around near him.]

[bydefacto]

[When suddenly Aleph is right in front of him Sealand skids to a halt. It happens so quickly, he's shocked into stillness for the second that night. One minute Aleph is standing there, shouting, then he's slumped down upon himself, unmoving.

Is he...? No...!]

Aleph!

[He's about to rush toward him, is practically already falling in that direction. But he sees the little creature then, and suddenly he knows what to do. As soon as he spots the tiny monster moving toward him, his foot collides down upon it, breaking the creature's neck instantly.

His fears are suddenly just an horrific memory, the floor nothing more than a cavern again, no giant heads and no numbing sense of rejection. The demise of the creature does not make Aleph any better however, and Sealand runs over to his body immediately.]

Aleph! Aleph! [He doesn't wake up, of course. And Sealand can't stop the tears falling, sobbing with his fist full of Aleph's shirt.] ...'Sorry.

[He waits until the retrieval unit comes to take the body away before walking quietly back to his room, lucky enough to meet no monsters on the way back.

Crawling into bed and eyes still full of tears, he reminds himself Aleph will be back soon. Sealand will have to make it up to him. A lot.]