Chapter 22

“Is he dead?” Jason asked.

“I dunno, maybe?” Death hazarded.

“Dude, you’re Death, shouldn’t you know these things?” Jason rounded on him.

“Wow, blame it on me why don’t you?” Death glared back at Jason. “It’s not like it matters anyway.”

Jason shrugged, then kicked Cody in the ribs. “Yo kid, dude, wake up man.”

Cody’s suddenly regained consciousness. He felt like his body was on fire, every fiber of his being hurt, it was as if someone pulled all his organs out then stuffed them back in using a spatula. He tried to take a breath but instead all he managed to inhale ash and dust, leading him into a coughing fit.

“Oh, he’s alive, good.” Jason said.

Cody cracked his eyes open to a bright light that nearly seared his eyeballs. Quickly shutting them he tried to get up but something heavy seemed to be stopping him from moving.

“Yeah be careful, there’s a like a gazillion tonnes of metal on you.”

Cody stopped, wait, where was he? The last thing he remembered was the sky and then…

“Did-” Cody tried to swallow to get some moisture between his cracked lips. “Did I die?”

“Yeah good question. Did he?” Jason asked Death.

“Weeeell…” Death began uncertainly. “Was he breathing?”

“Were you breathing?” Jason asked Cody.

“I-” Cody had another fit of coughs. “I don’t know.”

“He doesn’t know.” Jason reported.

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“Then I guess not.” Death concluded.

“Alright, well, get up kid.” Jason said.

“I can’t, I’m stuck.” Cody rasped. It was really hard to talk with no water and dust all around.

Suddenly the pressure that Cody felt on the rest of his body eased up, a weight he didn’t notice before gone, but still he refused to open his eyes in case the blinding light was still there. Grasping the ground under him, he scrambled to his feet.

“Okay, now, allow me to co- hey kid, open your eyes.” Jason said.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Cody opened his eyes. The light was gone and instead he found himself facing two men, one dark haired and gloomy, like a skeleton, while the other was the very essence of vitality, with a beard and a flamboyant, green waist coat, which was in stark contrast to his surroundings.

Speaking of surroundings, Cody just noticed that he could hardly see, not because of his eyes, but because everywhere he looked was smog and soot. It was so thick in the air that it was like a fog, blanketing everything and reducing vision to only a few meters.

It was also extremely dark, with the only light coming from a lantern that was attached to the end of Green Jacket’s cane, it wasn’t trained at Cody but he was pretty sure that was what made him temporarily blind, as it burned with such intensity that it could have rivalled even the strongest floodlights of a Battle Crusier.

“Oh my God.” Cody said, furiously trying to cover his mouth with his shirt.

“What is it?” Jason asked.

“We’re in The Depths!” Cody said agitatedly.

“The Depths? With a capital T?” Death asked.

“Doesn’t seem that impressive if you ask me.” Jason said as he looked around with renewed interest.

“You don’t understand! We have to get out of here!” Cody muffled, trying to make himself coherent through his makeshift bandana.

“Now hold on a minute, as a free man I have no obligation to do anything anyone askes of me.” Jason said with a serious tone. “We just saved your life and you’re gonna ask me to do something for you without even thanking me? You could get a lot farther in life if you were a bit more polite you know.”

“No! Look, if we don’t get out of here we’ll die!” Cody cried.

“Oh and that makes it all right does it?” Jason rolled his eyes. “I don’t care what kind of acidic cloud you think we’re in but that does not give you the excuse to bully me around.”

A distant roar could be heard in the distance.

“In fact I believe I am more than in my right to discuss this with you now whether you want to or not as I can be just as rude as you.” Jason continued, unperturbed.

But Cody wasn’t listening any more, if these two idiots want to die here, fine, not his problem. But he’ll get out of here while he still has the chance.

“I’m not done talking to you!” Jason cried after Cody.

Cody swept through the wreckage like a snake in the jungle, slithering over any obstacle and slowly putting distance between him and the Monolith. Maybe if he managed to get away from the other two… After all they are attracted to light.