Chapter Text
Panting I leaned against the slippery smooth surface. The metal cool against my back and palms. The round inside of the vending machine’s delivery box was awkward to lean against but the coldness of the metal was an absolute bliss.
Ever since these strange…things, the humans called them “demons”, invaded earth the temperature had risen until it was barely bearable.
There were liquified metals and, sometimes, lava dripping out of some buildings where the…demons were opening their strange black and red vortex-thingys - “portals” these were called by the humans.
Sometimes rocks and building parts floated in mid-air and the floor was covered in seemingly inextinguishable flames or partially cooled lava.
“Come one Ivy…” I mumbled to myself. “You got this…!”
I took my grappling hook from my shoulder and threw it into the shaft above me through which usually the snacks, soda and beer cans would fall after being paid for to be picked up.
The hook, made from two bent-into-shape paperclips and some waxed yarn, caught on something inside the machine.
I tugged at it slightly a couple times to check if it was secure. At the third tug it came loose and fell downwards, I dove out of the way as to not get hit by the metal-part.
Damn it! I thought and slung it back over my shoulder. If I don’t get in there soon some human might find this and decide to keep it all to themselves. I’d have to leave something behind that could keep me full for months! Months!!
I sighed. The sound silenced by the occasional demon-sounds and general apocalypse-sounds outside.
I can’t just give up. I’ll just try again and again until I can climb up-
I never got to try again.
A loud *Boom!* shook the vending machine and everything around it.
The another. And another. And another.
It…sounded like gunshots. Loud, powerful and impossibly near gunshots!
I scrambled into the furthest corner of the delivery box, trying to hide as best as I could in the shadows.
Moments after I had pressed myself as far into the corner as possible heavy, booming footsteps cut through the air accompanied by the raging roars and …painfilled? screeches of demons and abominations and impossibly loud gunshots that left my ears ringing.
Some human found this place.
The wet *Slop!* and *Splash!* of blood being spilled and the nauseating sounds of flesh being cut and torn and the cracking of bones splintering and bending into unnatural shapes overtook the gunshots and barely audible *Klinck!*s of shells hitting the dust-covered concrete ground eventually.
Then everything was quiet…
Deathly quiet…
The metallic stink of blood alongside the smell of gunpower, concrete, rust and ash, probably from the remains of the demons burning away, and something disgustingly sweet-rotten-ish filled the air and seeped into the vending machine.
I pressed a hand over my mouth.
Shaking all over.
Terrified whoever this person (…thing?) outside of my hiding spot was would hear my panicked breathing and rapidly beating heart.
Then the footsteps resumed.
I heard glass and bits and pieces of concrete cracking under the weight of…something and, after what felt like an eternity, the footsteps moving towards the half-collapsed staircase at the opposite side of the room I had glimpsed when I found the vending machine.
I heard the steps moving upwards, then something loudly cracking and the screeching of metal tearing, bending and twisting and ripping apart. A deafening *Bang!*, a *Whirr!* and the rustling of…a chain(?) echoed barely a heartbeat later followed by a sound as if…something was piercing concrete from somewhere above; at least I believed it was above.
Something heavy slammed against the walls of the stairwell, I heard the strange *Whirr!* again and something…heavily…landing…? I wasn’t sure and I damn as hell didn’t want to find out.
I didn’t move. Hand still clamped over my mouth. Still shaking like a leaf.
Somewhere on the floor above the gunshots and demon-sounds resumed. I flinched with every shot.
For a few minutes I just sat there. Curled up in the corner of the vending machine’s delivery box, shaking like there was no tomorrow (which there probably wasn’t), hand clamped over my mouth. Above me the gunshots and demonic screeches continued to roar and make my ears ring.
Calm down. I thought. Calm down, Ivy. The-the human didn’t-didn’t see you- They don’t even-even know you’re-you’re here! Just- Just climb out of here, go to-to-to th-the hole in the w-wall you came-came from and get-get out of here. Easy! Just-just do it. It’ll be just a-a few-few m-minutes. Nothing-Nothing major!
It still took a while until I’d calmed down enough to move again.
With still shaking hands (thankfully it wasn’t my entire body like just a couple minutes ago) I forced the lid of the delivery box open, pulling myself up on arms that felt like those wobbly little things human kids like(ed?) to eat.
What did they call them again? ‘Gummy bears’?
The hatch creaked. It was probably barely audible to human ears, let alone on the floor(s?) above me, but to me it sounded like the LOUDEST thing EVER.
I climbed over the rim, having to be mindful of the hatch, and letting myself dangle there for a few moments before letting go and landing wobbly on the concrete ground below.
Above me the fighting sounds continued to blast like some sick heavy metal song.
Guns (and other strange noises that didn’t seem to belong to any gun I knew), demons howling in either rage or agony, it was hard to tell, and loud crashes, bangs and those impossibly loud and heavy footsteps.
I took a deep breath.
Come one. I reassured myself. You got this…!
I took a step forward, pausing and straining my ears for anything from above besides the fighting sounds.
There were none.
I inched another step forward. Then another. And another.
I was about halfway to the hole when a loud muffled bang sounded from above, like someone REALY heavy had just fallen. A deafening *Crack!* split the air.
I jumped out of the way as concrete chunks, dust, office supplies and a gargantuan demon crashed downwards.
I was just far away enough to not be crushed by the demon corpse and the giant human – he was wearing some kind of…olive armor? – on it’s back but not enough to dodge everything.
A sharp pain shot through my scull.
My vision started blurring and blackening.
Something crashed down onto me. Maybe a folder or something like it.
Then…nothing.