Work Text:
He found a gun.
Well, not really found, per se, since it was everywhere on the ground. Or he should say on the bodies on the ground.
Another job well done tonight, and as the new God, he has come to inspect the scene. To his surprise, there were indeed some clues to the crystal here. Ashkariel looked around the ruin that was once a small hideout lab, it was messy, damned, and an absolute haywire, he cannot say he was surprised, his only tool was a reckless dangerous man, despite his appearances.
Liron was nowhere to be seen, his assumption was the prisoner went on looting, it has always been like this, his goal might only be the crystal, but the mortal’s material greed was beyond his control.
The so-called God quietly sat down with his back against one of the remaining walls, his legs stretched, a weapon in his hand. He saw his tool used it a couple of times, the safety was already unlocked, the clink clanks sound could be heard from the mechanic inside, the weight implied that there were still ammos left. Finally, he cocked the gun.
A deadly weapon, ready to be used. Ashkariel carelessly pointed at a body on the ground, his index finger wrapped around the trigger. The fallen God pondered for only a minute, then relaxed his palm, he let the gun hang loosely upon his finger. Shooting a dead man resulted in nothing, no purpose nor entertainment, it would be no different than shooting a mere pebble.
Yes, why shoot a dead one.
Again, a gun wrapped in his hand, finger placed firmly on trigger, and the barrel mouth placed nicely on his own nape.
Ashkariel shifted the gun around his hair, slowly closed his eyes when the feeling of a cold metal touched his skin. Possibilities flashed in his mind; would it kill him? He has lived for so long, countless weapons from different eras pointed at him, yet he could not be killed, he didn’t allow them.
But if this time he shifted into his mortal-like flesh, how would it be? Would the bullet blast his head off and finally end him? Or it would simply go through, make a hole that healed later in an instant, and the fallen God continued gracing this earth for another aeon. How should he do it? Slowly squeezed the lever? Or make it quick.
How curious. How interesting.
How tempting.
Indeed, what is there to lose?
“Would you do it?” His eyes snapped open, a deep familiar voice rang beside him. His tool casually sat just on his right, so close that his elbow almost grazed the prisoner’s left shoulder which made him wonder how he didn’t notice the mortal’s presence. He sat with his knees up and both his arms lazily laid atop, his head turned only slightly, his bright magenta eyes finally met with his, embedded with so much curiosity.
“Liron.” his voice was hoarse, he didn’t realize his mouth was so dried.
“‘Sup.” Liron gave a small wave, and said nothing after. The human he recruited stared directly at his eyes, and then a gun in his hand, shifting himself away from some rubbles then opened his mouth once again.
“So, are you gonna do it? Or no.”
“Do what?”
“Shoot yourself.” A horrid statement, yet said it so calmly. This made him realize he did not expect Liron to see him in this situation, so he didn’t know what to expect. Was this a normal reaction for a human seeing someone pointing a gun to their head? Or was it because this man knows too well that he is not a mere human and he cannot be killed.
A strange specimen, he’d say.
“Do you want me to?”
“Why would I?”
“I’m using you.”
“And I’m here for you to use, aren’t I? Do I look like I’m being forced or something?” Ashkariel chuckled, he had a point. Despite him calling the human his ‘tool’, Liron was here completely willingful, sometimes he wondered if this man worked with him just to unleash some suppressed emotions.
HIs armed hand was already lowered down to his lap. Watching a smile that never truly reached the youngling’s eyes. He has seen trillions of humans in his lifetime, he could tell a human’s personality with just a glance. And he could tell that this human in front of him was far from sane. Whatever reason for someone to devote their life to crimes, it was never a good one, and a life of that someone never ended up in a happy ever after. He knew this very well, which was the reason he used him.
“I was just wondering. Guns are fascinating, don’t you think?”
“I ‘on’t know bro, it’s a gun. It shoots, you die, well, maybe not you, but most of us definitely.” He playfully motioned his finger like a gun. He closed his left eye, pointed his armed finger at his godly companion and made annoying pew pew sounds.
“And I was trying to find a concrete answer to that assumption.” Liron stared at him for a while, the silence between them was quite foreign since usually the human would run his mouth nonstop. His expression blanked, as every time he slipped out of his lively facade.
“Well, I wouldn’t want you to die. I’d be so sad, not gonna lie.”
“Oh? where have you learned guilt tripping and manipulating from?”
“Huh?? I was telling the truth! I like you. Y'know?" HIs reaction was truly amusing, never a boring day with this man. For thousands of years, he had never met a human like Liron before. He used to be worshiped, feared, raged, and obsessed, even. But never have a human cussed him or called him ‘buddy’, intentionally constantly tested his patient for fun, liked and enjoyed his company like he was one of fellow mortals, not an ever powerful being.
“Why would you be sad? Pray tell.”
“Being with you was fun, that’s why! Waaaaay better than those mafiasos. I could befriend you, not like them”
“And you should not befriend me as well. I am a God, Liron. You fear me less than those thugs, which is very questioning.”
“Eh. You looked like a chill guy, and you were never really mad at me when I rage baited you.” Liron shrugged. Maybe he should not questioned this man in the first place. Any possible logic never applied to him.
“Then why not persuade me to stop?”
“Because I know how that feels, sometimes you just wanna tsk and be done with it.” Liron made a slitting motion with a sound. “I’d be a hypocrite to stop you when I, myself, also wanna die, y’know what I mean?”
“I do, actually.”
“Yeah. That's why I asked you, because I wanna make a request before you commit.”
“Go on.”
“Can you shoot me first?”
His tone was like a child asking for a toy. His head tilted in complete curiosity. His eyes showed no deception but a genuine question. The silence was deafening. The request caught him off guard, his emerald eyes widened in utter surprise, never in his life were he expected to have something made him so speechless.
“Come again?”
“Can you shoot me before you shoot yourself? I don’t wanna do it myself.” The prisoner swiped rubbles away with his arm, making more space for himself, before scooting his bottom to face his whole body with the fallen God.
“Why?” The weapon’s cold surface was tickling his finger.
“It’s true that I can use guns and actually used them a lot lately. But pointing at someone else and yourself was different.” He turned his head toward piling bodies on the ground.
“Like I said, I thought about it, when crossing a river bridge, watching a busy traffic, when viewing the city’s landscape on the rooftops.” He turned back with his still genuine eyes. “I just have no balls.”
He moved closer to the so-called powerful God, sitting face to face and glanced down to the jet black weapon that blended with Ashkariel’s leather pants.
“And if you died, I would be alone and have to go back to work for those fuckers. And I don’t want that.”
Ashkariel stayed silent, as when his devotees spat out their worries and despair, then desperately prayed for his divine blessings.
“You are a God, but I’ve never believed in your kind. Maybe this time you can prove me otherwise.”
His rough dirty hands reached out to warm glowing ones, gently guided his godly hand around the black heavy gun, softly traced his own finger along with his holiness’ to the trigger. Finally, he raised both their hands and the gun to a shooting stance, leaned himself closer until the barrel touched his chest, shifting around until he found a vibrated sensation of a beating heart. HIs lips curved up into a pleasant smile, a smile that finally reached his hopeful magenta eyes. Firmly adjusted the God’s finger onto the trigger before letting his hands free.
“So, would you do it?”
As if already decided, he lamented his last words to the God as the silence filled the air. This was not the first time Ashkariel has been asked to kill a mortal, so many had kneeled and begged for him to end their sufferings. But none ever was like this. No remorse nor regret, not even fear in sight, the only thing he could feel was the boy’s excitement. He gripped his index harder, still pondering his own answer.
But, oh. Did he have his answer.
A dark energy consumed the gun, the weapon slowly took itself apart, each ammo fall down to ground, making clink clank noises across the ruin. His sinful hands open bare as every trace of it disappeared. He smiled with amusement, somehow very satisfied with what has accrued
“My. I don’t think I will.”
“Whaaat? Why!” To his surprise, Liron didn’t break down into a pathetic mess, he only looked disappointed, pouting his lips and whining like a little kid. Looking at him with the same eyes he did when the God ate the final piece of pizza last week.
Ashkariel only let out a chuckle, truly never a boring day with this one.
“Same as you. I happened to like you a lot, Liron. It would be such a shame for you to die.” His glowing emerald eyes met with the mortal's, the more childish tantrums he threw, the more content he felt.
“If the price of your life depends on mine, then I do not mind living a little longer.” Ashkariel stood up, tossed his messy, sweaty hair until they stayed as they always were. He looked at the boy on the ground, his wings still kept hidden as tonight he intended to spend his time with his companion during their way back.
“Come now, it is time for us to go.” Liron sighed, but finally rose himself up, stretched around a little bit before walking toward the exit with his godly friend.
“Fine. Whatever, man.”