Chapter 1: Prologue, Everything Burns

The Gangreen Gang were quite literally in flaming hot garbage right about now. Everything they'd ever known was burning all around them, and soon as the flames grew closer, they knew they would be next. They were helpless to save themselves. Tied up and left to burn like heretics at the stake. Only instead of this being some Spanish Inquisition, this was simply the biggest bonfire in history set off intentionally at the Townsville Dump with the sacrifices being held there left to rot.

They spent their final moments in terror, hardly able to believe that this was really how they were all going to go out. If anything, they expected to be gunned down by the police one day. Maybe getting stabbed or shanked out in the streets. Overdosing on drugs. Going out from their own plain old reckless stupidity. All of those options would've been way more preferable than this.

Experiencing one of the worst deaths a human being could experience.

In a way, it was ironic. A joke from the very universe itself. They would die in a dumpster fire. After everything they had did, all the crimes they had committed, and the life they had lived, that was all they were really worth in the end.

The only question was, would the flames get to them first, or would they inhale enough smoke to poison themselves to death beforehand?

Snake's lungs already felt like they were being cooked from the inside. He'd tried calling for help with his friends at first but now he was all out of oxygen. He coughed like he was a lung cancer patient and spat up sputum with soot. His eyes watered uncontrollably and his nose wasn't too far behind. As far as a last smoke, he could've used a little more nicotine. At least then he would've been happy, instead of suffering in his last moments.

His friends weren't faring any better. Big Billy was easily the worst. He howled unabashedly like a frightened child, begging for help from his leader as he was easily starting to burn the worst. Curse that large surface area of his; it made the whole thing so much faster.

Grubber was unsuccessfully trying to put the fire out with his spittle. That was like peeing in the ocean; no difference was made.

Ace didn't have any last witty one-liners either. His ability to speak had been pretty thoroughly compromised by the slash to his neck with his own pocket knife no less. With his hands tied behind his back, he couldn't even try to staunch the the blood pouring out.

Snake looked on helplessly as his best friend ruined his shirt and his jacket with the blood with that precious life fluid that he couldn't afford to lose a lot of. He felt like crying, but the heat quickly evaporated all of his tears.

Lil Arturo was busy praying, bowing his head and murmuring something he hoped would save his soul, if not his mortal flesh. He didn't understand his friend's words, as they were all said in Spanish, but he did catch the inflection; this was most likely the Lord's Prayer.

"Padre nuestro, que estás en el cielo. Santificado sea tu nombre..."

Snake didn't know if there even was anything waiting for them after this. Maybe after the horrible pain, there would be nothing but blackness. Maybe they weren't entering the pearly gates of heaven but the fiery pits of hell, forced to pay for all their petty sins. Wherever they ended up, Snake at least hoped that the Gang could face it together.