Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim to own this franchise or any of its characters.

Afterwards

God Slaying Machine

Fuck what happened? I better not be in prison. The last thing I remember is trying to push Antinomy out a window. Z-ONE's going to kill me. I look out the window and the sky and ground are both completely gray.

"Where are we going!" I demand from the driver.

"Hmn, you are the most amusing of the three. No lengthy thoughts about your own nature, no rambling. This is quite interesting." She mumbles.

"Answer my damn question!"

"Afterwards."

"Afterwards? What's that supposed to mean?!"

"After words. After pain. After agony. After machinery."

Machinery. I'm a clock work man. Maybe she thinks I'm someone else then.

"You have the wrong person; I'm a clock work man."

"Hmn, then a Placido Tenor didn't die last night? Then a Placido Tenor that screams words that even he doesn't even believe didn't die last night? Then a clock work man named Placido Tenor that regretted in his last moments, not too much but enough, wasn't pulled out that window by furiously thrashing hands and smashed against the hard ground?"

Oh, she's telling me I am in some kind of afterlife.

"Of course it isn't me because I am purely clockwork and clockwork has no soul"

"Denying humanity? Peculiar. I would have thought a clockwork would be more inclined to be considered human."

"Hmph. Tell me this whomever you are how can I be in whatever kind of afterlife this is if clockwork men don't have souls?"

"Oh but some do. You have free will don't you?"

"Yes."

"And you have emotions don't you?"

"Some."

"Then you are just as human as humans."

"You're an idiot. I demand you remove me from the afterlife! Z-ONE will fix me and I need to get back!"

"Ku ku ku, your God can't help you now."

"And why not you stupid bimbo?"

"Because your body was completely destroyed."

"So? He can simply find new parts and rebuild it."

"But he can not replicate the soul you grew."

"What?"

"That is my final reply."

Well then I guess Z-ONE will prove her wrong soon enough. She's stupid if she thinks clockwork men have souls. I don't have a soul. What is a soul anyway? What is it defined by? What is it created by? How does one grow a soul anyway? How can something that isn't human have a soul? Oh this is just so trite, so useless.

The car bounces up and down. Great, there are speed bumps in hell. Wait does that mean Antinomy's here if I actually did shove him out of the window. Son of a bitch! Still not rid of him, not even for a little while.

"I demand that I be transferred to a different afterlife!" I scream.

"Are you freaking kidding me!" She screams back.

Oh that's a huge personality change. Oh I think I'm in trouble. Hmph, that's what she gets for trying to chain me.

"Take this afterlife! It's the only chance you have! It's Janus, the afterlife of choices you prissy little bitch! It's one of the freaking best! I have to deal with murders and rapists and freaking omicidal maniacs regularly and you, YOU think you can boss me around! Sit down and shut the HELL up before I DO transfer you!"

Oh she's got anger issues.

"Oh you are rude aren't you?"

"Get out!"

"Wait what?"

"Get out!"

I open the door and barely climb out before she starts screaming again.

"Forever or redemption! Pain or ascension! God slayer machine or God machine slayer!"

"This is stupid."

"I'll take your eye so that your younger self may see clearly and perhaps avoid your fate!"

A sharp pain stings my eye as it is removed. Well Lucciano gets my eye. He better be grateful. Spoilt brat.

A key appears in my hand. Oh I wonder what this is for. Probably something stupid. The afterlife is completely pointless. Nothingness is more fitting. Nothingness. Oh I wish I could be nothingness rather then stuck here with only cryptic choices as my guide. Z-ONE better rebuild me fast. Oh head hurts. I look to see what hit me and I walked directly into a building. Oh that's just great. I freaking love hitting myself. Oh wait building, key, oh okay. I ram the key into the lock and the door opens. All sorts of people are standing around waiting for something I suppose. Whatever. A raised number appears on my key. A four. Well I guess I have to go to room four or floor four or whatever. Oh God if it means floor four then I might have to share with humans. I'll probably just impale them with my sword until they die.

I walk up the stairs to floor four and unlock the door holding the floor captive. I hear two heartbeats. Fucking awesome! I get to share my living space with a couple of humans! I walk through the kitchen, the living room and past two bedrooms before coming across mine. Oh it even looks just like Antinomy's and it freaking smells like him. I guess I'll go to sleep. Stupid body. Maybe I'll sleep and become nocturnal and never, ever see the humans that live here with me.