Once I see Death step away from the Messenger, I feel better; the overfilled balloon in my chest pops to release all that nervous air. I knew she wouldn’t leave us -- not yet, at least. There’s too much to see, too much to do; there’s too many questions I still have to ask her.
Plus, it would’ve been really pointless to go through all of this only for her to choose The End.
We met God. We nearly had the Apocalypse. We met the son of Lucifer and the Prince of Darkness himself. We fought alongside Hell against the weight of Heaven...and, in the end, I’m not really sure if anyone actually won or lost. Either way: I can’t wait to go record this in my book. Maybe we can call it my finest hour: riding into battle alongside my fellow Horsemen...alongside my own family.
Death rides up to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. Conquest and Famine are already leaving; Raphael and Uriel, too, have already vanished. Hope that bastard’s eye hurts when Raphael brings it back to his head. That’s what you get when you mess with Famine. Death smiles at me, and she still looks tired, so I punch her shoulder. She blinks in surprise.
“Cheer up, Death -- you ain’t seen it all yet, so pull your head outta your ass and have some fun while you still can.”
She blinks once, twice, and starts laughing, shaking her head. “You may yet continue to surprise me, War.”
I wink.
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Death shakes her head, and the last of my worry eases; there she is. The eldest Horseman, and the best of us. The one who keeps us in check, and makes me wanna pull my hair out half the time.
She goes over to where the kid and Lucifer are watching us -- fuck you, Morning Star, what you so smug about? Michael nearly took your head, you shiny bastard. Death jumps down from her mount and says something to the kid. He gives her a hug.
Well that’s different. Don’t think anybody’s ever willingly given Death a hug. She pats his back awkwardly before breaking away. She only nods at Lucifer with a strange expression before whistling for her mount and heading away.
Oh...they’re looking at me now. Right.
I hold out my hand, “Right, well. See ya, kid.”
“Seriously?” he practically twitches. “Like...seriously, you never learned my name?”
I snort -- it’s fun riling him up, and over something as silly as his human name. But I sigh: I guess when you end up being the catalyst for the best fight I’ve ever had, I’ll give ya this one thing.
“See ya, Hyun...uh...wait, uh...what’s your surname, again?”
Hyun frowns, “It’s Huh.”
I blink and I’m laughing, letting go of his hand. “Of course it fucking is.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hyun asks.
It doesn’t actually mean anything: I just can’t resist a final chance to irritate him.
I’m already gone.