4 Chapter 4: The Abyss Part 2

Dmitri collected himself and pressed on the throttle, driving as quickly as he could without even the slightest hesitation.

"Fuck, they've likely got every corrupt cop in Gotham on our tale. The valentines are a big family, they won't want us getting away." Dmitri started to perspire heavily while driving, and it was obvious from the stress on his face that he had little faith in their ability to escape this predicament.

Arias grimaced as he cast a quick check in the rearview mirror at the flickering lights.

"They won't give us a quick death either if they catch us." Before reclining into his seat, he said in a casual manner.

'Every single time, each time I strive to get myself a better life, the world comes crashing down. But I didn't give up then and I won't now.' Before pulling a gun in ready, Arias paused to think.

….

The two took a good eight minutes of driving before arriving to the hills outside of Gotham.

"It looks like we might actually make it! I don't where we'll go but at least they haven't chased us this far out." Dmitri appeared to be in a more upbeat mood as he grinned at Arias.

Relief-filled Arias sighed and was about to respond when a vibrant, almost blinding light suddenly emerged in front of them.

"Be careful! There's another-"

Bam!

Everything happened so quickly. One moment it looked like they would make it out but the next their car was flipped off the road and was in the air.

When Arias looked at Dmitri, who was also shocked, his eyes widened, but he remained silent. Both of them understood that the struggle was over and that continuing it would be futile.

The Porsche flipped in the air and sped down the hill in a rage, stopping only when it hit a big tree.

Two people clad in all black emerged from the car that had struck them as it came to a stop on the side of the road.

One pulled out a phone, dialed, and made a call.

"Mr. Valentine, it's done. We're just from pushing their car off the road, it's amazing it didn't explode. The hill is pretty steep so it will take some time to go down and check on the bodies but-"

[ Never mind then, Gotham is now buzzing over this fiasco. I here it's caught the Bat's attention too so just get out of there. ]

"Rodger Boss." Quickly ending the call, the man turned to face his buddy.

"The boss says the bat might be coming so we better leave."

"Shit, that guy is a real pain in the ass for anyone trying to make a living in Gotham. Joker better axe him soon."

The two males quickly drove away in their large 4x4 and quickly fled the location.

….

Meanwhile at the crash sight of the Porsche, both Arias and Dmitri were in terrible states with death creeping up on them.

Arias had numerous sharp objects piercing his vital organs while Dmitri already had lost consciousness and was losing blood at an alarming rate.

He lost all sense of his body's parts, and his vision was bloody and fuzzy.

'So this is what death feels like? It's oddly… relaxing.'

Arias struggled mightily to keep his eyes open, but eventually everything went black.

…

"Am I still alive? I can't see, feel or hear anything l… I can't even open my mouth. What is this? A coma? Or maybe stage after death?"

Arias posed these queries to himself without anticipating receiving a response. He had the impression that he was alone in the endless stillness.

To his amazement, though, that wasn't the case.

"You are in the abyss."

!!

Arias became alert, his mind racing as he heard a voice that was difficult to identify as male or female due to its inconsistent tonality.

'Who's that? What an abyss?

Arias questioned, but he couldn't bring himself to panic—not because he was composed, but more because he lacked the necessary feelings of fear in that state.

"A place you can not begin to comprehend. I am infinity, the one who called your existential energy here."

Despite the introduction and brief explanation, Arias was unable to follow.

"I don't get it, am I dead or not? What do you mean called my energy? For what?"

Arias fired off question after question, but he discovered that he was unable to exhibit any emotion, no matter how much he tried.

His speech was dull throughout.

"Energy can never be destroyed, death is simply the deterioration of one vessel, allowing you to take on a different form, this cycle is without bounds and runs endlessly. And as for why I called you here, well that is because I have chosen you to be my physical vessel."

Arias found it difficult to understand the voice, which could alternate between an old man and a young child, but he was forced to accept what was being said.

In a world where super humans existed along with aliens and even demons, he didn't doubt the to a great degree.

"Why me? What qualifications do I hold?"

Before responding, the voice or rather voices remained silent for a considerable amount of time.

"The only requirement was a being nearing deterioration. Many such existences were present for me to choose but after watching your last moments…I was…intrigued."

"As the consciousness of the abyss I can never truly leave it. However with a vessel I may experience the physical world through another. Your will and freedom shall remain your own, but I will merely exist to observe the world through your eyes."

Arias was the next to pause and consider, but what was there to consider? All he wanted was to live. He wouldn't allow all of his hardships to lead to an early demise.

"So by becoming your vessel, I will forever have you in my head is what you're saying? Communicating the way we are like this always?" He sought affirmation.

"With the power you gain from me, you may even construct a secondary vessel for me if you dislike having me within your consciousness. Our existential link however cannot be severed."

Arias tried to laugh at his unfortunate circumstance, but he was unable to.

"What choice do I have? I want to live, even if that means I stop being human. So I agree to be your vessel."

He came to a decision, but because there was only death to consider, it was an easy one to make. He felt as though he has nothing to lose at that point.

"Then you will now become the physical aspect of the abyss. All begins from us and all ends from us, this is your knew reality. A warning however, Should you die then you will merge with me and become a single consciousness, returning to the abyss once more with no recollection of your former vessel."

Arias merely said nothing in response to the warning, and the infinity continued.

"So be it then."