The dreadful sound of screams filled the halls along with the countless clattering of shoes against the concrete floor. Countless people ran, knowing their lives were at stake, no time to look back at their friends, knowing the dreadful state in which they would've been found. A strong gust of wind grazed their backs, a sound of a strong jet quickly followed. A cutting noise came next as many screams soon went silent. A single man was left, moving his damaged legs as fast as he could. He was a middle-aged black man with little hair on his head, his shortness leaving him around five-six and his dead black eyes constantly squinting due to the debris in the air. The man carried a young, unconscious boy in his arms, his own son in danger because of his own ignorance.
He turned his head to see his friends dead, many mauled to death with large fang marks deep within their bodies, others simply slashed in half. It was a frightful feeling to see their dark red blood smeared all over the blood tinted walls. And there it was, the beast that caused this merciless massacre. It was a dark shadowy beast held a single large eye in the center of its head. The neon green pupil in the middle almost pulsating with hunger as it locked onto the man. It slowly rose from being on all fours to now standing as if it were a man itself, its twisted horns glowed even in that cloaked darkness.
"To think you can hide from the end as foolish is as trying to run from life. You and your son won't survive." the beast cackled its deep yet croaking voice as it slowly walked towards him, it grinned to show off its plethora of sharp teeth. The man quickly placed his son on the ground as he put his hands together, forming a small shadow monkey with his fingers as a white glow appeared in front of him and emerged from the tainted floor. The glow grew brighter as a figure steadily emerged; its large frame practically climbed out of the white gate as it stomped onto the ground with such tremendous force; it nearly shattered the very corridor.
"It's too early for this Sam! I was trying to have my morning coffee!" the monkey groaned disappointingly, adjusting his golden crown as he twisted the silver gauntlets on his wrists tight. He glanced up and notice the feral beast above him, a hint of interest peaking his gaze.
"And what might you be? A demon? No, you're too chunky for that. Perhaps a shadow walker, but you're too bright. You're something else entirely." the monkey said as he walked up close to the beast, looking up right into its green pupil, his own amber eyes flaring at the sight of a new foe and itching for the opportunity to face his opponent.
"I'll let you off the hook this time, Thompson. This might be an interesting opponent for me after all. Scram before you end up being destroyed as well." The monkey sneered as he gave the man a heartless glare.
Without wasting anytime, Sam grabbed his son and ran out the exit, exhaustion taking a toll on his frail legs. The feeling of wild grass brushed against his leg as a soft sigh of relief escaped him. He placed his son on the grass, laying him with as much care as his weak and injured body could manage. He breathed in the fresh air, soaking in the short sense of freedom he had regained as he glanced back at the building. All his friends were dead, after two long years, the memories they made together burnt away in the blink of an eye, never to see the light of day again.
"Alright champ let's get you h--" Just as he was about to finish his sentence, a cold slimy hand grabbed the back of his neck, yanking him back into the crumbling building and dragging him back quickly, scraping his body on pieces of broken tile, rocks, and glass, scratching up his lab coat and piercing his skin. The man tried gasping for air, clinging onto life the best he could as he glanced back at to see the monster's arm retracting, the monkey nowhere in sight. Within a few moments, the beast's arm finished retracting as it slammed the man into the wall, putting a large crater within it. Blood dripped down the man's mouth, and he felt the puncturing of his lungs from his own shattered ribs, as the crumbled pieces entered his breathing tubes.
"Sam Thompson, the supposed prodigy of the Blackout Generation, a genius who cured cancer twice over, yet here you are, dying in the arms of something you couldn't handle. How does it feel to lose, to feel someone stronger than you ever will be on top?" the beast asked, its lower mouth opening with a devilish grin. Sam's eyes fluttered open, blankfully staring at the horrid monster as he reached out and grabbed its giant wrist. A faint chuckle erupted from Sam as he grinned, showing his blood red teeth.
"That's. . . Where your wrong. . . Ranko. I'm not going down alone," he muttered. The monster paused its grip as it tilted its long head, staring at the dying man in front of him.
"For a dying man, you sure have a lot to laugh about," it grunted, a hint of distain in its voice.
"How did you get rid of Wu?" He asked.
"Seven words. He can turn himself into peach rings," it claimed. Another chuckle escaped his breath at the thought of the great Sun Wukong getting advice to turn a clone into a bag of peach rings, hilarious.
"Realm." He muttered.
"Realm?" the beast replied in confusion. Just as it said those words, a similar portal from earlier opened, shocking the two heavily as hands gently gripped the monster's body pulling the two of them down.
"W-what is this?" it asked in a panic, swinging its head toward Sam, only to see his unconscious body lying within his grip.
"NO! DAMN YOU THOMPSON!" The beast roared out as the two sank into the light abyss of the portal. The building burst into flames just as the portal disappeared, the light escaping with it. The young boy lay on the ground, the grass rubbing against his neck as the sound of trees swaying filled his ears. For once, the world felt so peaceful, so calm. The gray stormed closer as lightning struck the earth, the boom traveling for miles.
A dark figure slowly loomed over the young boy, his unconscious, soft face slowly melting away as if he were having a nightmare. The figure slowly loomed closer, picking the boy up in its arms.
"You really keep causing me trouble."
"You damned child."