The alarm clock rang.
With a moan I crawled out of bed and made my way to the bathroom. Rubbing my eyes I looked in the mirror. The reflection of my own face scared me. I had a nine o'clock shadow and my eyes were an irritating red color. I grabbed for my toothbrush. Instead I grabbed a beer bottle. I recognized the sick feeling I felt in my head it was a hangover. I was drunk.
But I couldn't be drunk I'd been sober for over two years. I opened the bathroom door and looked around the room.
The wallpaper was peeling off the wall and trash as piled high across the room to the point that I couldn't reach the bed without swimming trough an ocean of crap.
This was my old apartment. I went back to bed and turned over to the right left side of the bed and came face to face with a girl that- well- I didn't remember.
"Do you want me to make you coffee?"she said, kissing me on the lips.
I didn't say anything. I just sat up.
"Arthur is there something wrong?"
"Uh, nothing - sure coffee."
She climbed out of bed and went to go making coffee. She was wearing one of my shirts.
I had a really bad hangover.
"It was a crazy night last night," she called from the kitchen. "You won twenty grand last night I couldn't believe it."
"Neither can I." I muttered under my breath. I crawled out of bed and then climbed out and collapsed on the couch. I remember the rough brown couch I had in the living room. That couch reaked of beer and vomit. This couch ,however, was soft and smelled like linen and sky.
She handed me a cup of steaming hot black coffee. I took a sip.
Whoever this was she made great coffee.
She curled up on the couch and turned on the tv- a tiny television.
"You should consider getting a flat screen," she said. "Seriously."
"Are we still going to dinner tonight?" she asked.
"Yeah definitely." I said taking another sip of coffee. What do I say? Who are you and how and why are we in my old apartment?
"Because you're dead." she replied.
"What?" I asked.
"You're here because you died," she said. " You were killed by-"
"Thanos." I said and suddenly the unbearable pain of death came back to me.
"Easy there take a sip of coffee." she said.
"Why are we here," I asked. "In my old apartment."
"Kronos wanted me to give you a chance," she said.
"Who are you exactly?" I said.
"I am Death." she said calmly, sipping her tea.
"I died," I said blankly starring out the window. "I was killed."
"Yes." she said. I looked at Death. She was beautiful as I looked in her black pupils I could see all the time and beauty just swimming in her eyes. Her skin had a great glow that radiated its own heat that just made you want to move in closer.
"I'm alive now," I concluded, standing up. "I can leave."
"No you can't Kronos needs you here right now." Death said getting up.
"I'm alive right I can keep living and never go to the Mojave Desert I can save my entire family."
"It doesn't work that way." she said in a soft voice. The way she said it made me turn to her.
"Then how does it work?" I shouted. I never noticed the tears falling from my cheeks.
A ring came from the door.
Time seemed to slow down as I moved for the door. My heart began to beat faster inside of my chest and it felt like an eternity before I made it to the door and unbolted the lock. I swung the door open and was faced with a middle aged man. He wore a long white doctor's jacket with a stethoscope. Underneath he had a sweater vest and a tie like he was going to a Christmas party at the office.
"Did somebody want blue berry muffins," he exclaimed. "Humans really do make some of the best pastries in the galaxy."
"Kronos, he was just attempting to leave." Death informed him.
Kronos furried his brow; distinct lines were beginning to form on his forehead.
"Normally I would skip through the entire time and relative dimension and space talk but right now I will abbreviate it for you." He sighed. Kronos grabbed one of his pockets.
"I managed to recover some of your memories from where you died on earth and Death recreated them here. I'm sorry but you are in fact deceased." Kronos said.
"I can't remember anything other than my name-"
"You will remember everything soon I just have to create you a body."
"What's wrong with this body?" I said, defensively.
"It was disintegrated," he stated. "Plus it won't do what is necessary."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, my fuse was getting short.
"He wants you to destroy one of the greatest rising threats of the universe."
"I want you to destroy Thanos."