The City Below

The centipede struggles under the weight of the white rings pinning it to the ground. Once he's sure it's stuck, he forms a sword out of the white and throws it to me.

"You better kill this thing quick, I'm already getting damn tired!" Joshua warns me before chuckling. "Also, don't hurl." Before I can process that, the ground raises at a pace that feels faster than light, launching me high up. The change in atmosphere almost makes me pass out, but I bite my cheek to keep myself frosty. Looking down, I see the beast, still pinned.

"...I wish to be unperceivable." After uttering those words, I hold my sword so the tip is just between my feet as the ascent finally halts, and the descent begins. So, the question of how this isn't gonna kill me? Well, as much as I hate him, I highly doubt Joshua is gonna let his partner in a fight fall to their death. So, whatever he decides is just gonna have to work. With my mind holding tight to that hope, I continue my fall, the wind racing against me. The creature stays struggling, but stuck in Joshua's grasp, easing my worries further. Gritting my teeth against the wind's mounting pressure, I lower the sword just a bit.

Something…strange happens. The centipede freezes up, its body starting to bulge up. The fuck is it doing? I feel my eye go wide as it suddenly explodes, its whole body spreading across the white ground. It…was destroying the ground, creating an endless void of black and stars. Much like the sky I hadn't seen in many years, the sight of it took my breath away. Joshua fell from his spot on the ground, and I soon passed by where ground originally was, leading to a near endless looking fall. 

"F-FUUUUCK!!" I scream, my whole body filling up with chills and dread.

"MARCUS, HOLD ON!" I watch as Joshua rubberizes his arm, sending it my way and wrapping around my leg. It turns to sturdy rope and pulls me through the air, until he has his arm around me. 

"JOSHUAAAAA, WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING!" I try to scream past the racing wind.

"HELL IF I KNOW!" He responds. The fear that we were quickly approaching a fatal crash keeps my eyes alert, scanning for anything that we can latch onto. Nothing, absolutely nothing. Fan-fucking-tastic! I close my eyes.

"WE'RE DEAD, WE'RE DEAD AS SHIT!" I cry out, when I hear Joshua cry out.

"NOT YET! LOOK!" I open my eyes and see him pointing to something in the distance below us. It looks like the top of a building. No, a lot of buildings. Is this…a city? He holds me tighter, sending out his other arm to wrap around what looks like a fire escape on one of the buildings. He pulls us down faster, eventually releasing his arm to turn his body into a shock absorbent material, wrapping himself around me. We both land on the fire escape, feeling it creak harshly under us. After a moment, it goes still, and we both roll away from each other.

"You…seriously saved me…" I speak through panting breaths.

"No way…in hell…I'm gonna be stuck here alone…" He sits up, rubbing his face. Watching as he does so, I feel just a bit relieved. Despite cutting my head off before, he doesn't seem like the worst company in this situation. Right now anyways. I look to my left, past the bars of the fire escape, and feel my breath hitch. Buildings. Massive buildings, stretching on for what seems like miles. When I let my eyes wander, I see that…there is no ground. No roads, no grass, no nothing. The buildings simply extend down near endlessly. The sight makes me stiffen up.

"We are…not in a good spot." I say, earning me an exasperated look. "Don't give me that, I'm just speaking my mind." I grunt, looking up. It seems the fire exit goes up to the roof. That seems like a better place to be then on these bars. "Hey, let's head u-" The fire escape rocks. Looking down, the centipede from before seems to be reforming, grabbing tight to the escape with its legs. "SH-SHIT, MOVE!" I grab Joshua's hand and force him to stand, leading him up the stairs as the centipede begins climbing.