Weapon of Choice

Part A: Chapter 1

I fell into Hell.

A woman with bright, white hair woke me up. She found me in the street outside of some fighting ring. Neither of us is sure how long I was out until she found me. Everything's still a bit fuzzy, but I could vaguely make out that she was speaking to me. Her voice is kind, a little scratchy, but kind.

"Hey, kid." She says, gently shaking my shoulder. My head is pounding. "Kid, are you alright? What are you doing out here?"

I squeezed my eyes closed, then flashed them open again. The air here feels like it's full of smog and smoke, making my lungs feel a bit choked. "Huh?"

The woman chuckles at me. If she feels comfortable enough to laugh at my confusion then I'm probably not hurt too bad. "Are you alright? How'd you get out here?"

"I, uh..." I clear my throat. It feels a bit raw, almost as though I'd screamed for hours before I woke up. Everything around us is tinted red, and I couldn't see the sky from where I was. "I'm not sure what's going on, I'm sorry." An awkward laugh slipped out from my mouth and I scratched the back of my head. "Who are you?"

"I'm Exodus, you can call me Ex." She offered her hand out to help me up, I happily took it and shakily got to my feet. "You got a name?"

I paused briefly and stretched my back, gazing at our surroundings. It seemed like we were in a small city, but no one roamed the streets. Was it nighttime? "My name's Meerkat, I think?" I cleared my throat again. "Please, call me Meer. I don't like my full name."

"Meer, huh? Sounds good to me." Exodus smiled softly and gestured for me to follow her down the street. There weren't any cars lining the roads, no street signs, and no other people strolling through town. This place looked abandoned. The two of us took a left turn before Exodus spoke up again. "So, do you remember why you were laying on the ground outside of Ring B?"

I glanced nervously in her direction, not because she made me nervous, but because I genuinely didn't remember anything before falling and hitting the sidewalk. Now that I think about it, Ex doesn't make me nervous at all. She gives off a very trusting and warm aura. Like a big sister, or a mom.

"Not really," I responded to Ex after thinking for a bit. "Is there something I'm supposed to remember? Did I lose my memory?" A gasp escaped my lips. "Did I know you before? I'm so sorry."

Exodus laughed lightly, waving a hand at me to relax. Her laugh is warm, just like her aura. "Woah, kid, slow down a second." I took a deep breath, returning my stride to match hers as we turned down a dirt road. I'm not sure how we got to the back roads so fast, it seemed like we were in the city a few seconds ago. "You're a fresh face for me. The real question is, do you know where you are?"

"Well, I know I'm in Hell."

"That's good. Do you know how you got here?"

"I fell."

Ex giggled. "I mean, yeah, everyone does." We took a right, making our way down a long driveway with forest on either side of us. "What I mean to ask is, were you human before? Or an angel?"

Her question took a moment to register in my mind, freezing me in place. Was I not human now? If she's asking, then she must not be either. "Wait... are you saying I'm not a human?"

"With that hair?" Exodus turned around and walked backward, the look on her face screaming 'shocked'. "Please, you're probably one of the strongest demons down here."

"I'm a demon?!" I couldn't help but scream the question, my nerves getting the best of me. Sure, I knew I was in Hell, but I thought maybe this entire encounter was the beginning of a torture tactic. "Hold on, hold on, hold on." I shook off my anxiety and jogged to catch up with Ex. Once I joined her side, she spun around and started walking forward again. "What about my hair? I'm so confused."