We are taught that strength is what keeps us alive.
So he became strong.
Strong enough to endure the battlefield. Strong enough to command men into hell and lead them back out. Strong enough to win a war that should have destroyed him.
They called h...
The hallway smells like gun oil, cheap incense, and something died twice. I knock once. Hard. The door rattles like it wants to escape this place more than I do.
Cherri Bomb stands there barefoot, hair like a grenade went off in it. Her oner eye half-open.
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Cherri: ...Harbinger?
She blinks. Looks me up and down. I'm still me. That seems to confirm it.
She looks surprised. Messy. Alive. That's new for Hell before noon.
Cherri: Shit—uh—hi! Wow. You look... exactly the same.
Y/N: You look like you lost a fight with a couch.
She snorts, steps aside immediately.
Cherri: Come in, come in... don't just stand there like a hitman cliché... Okay, bad phrasing. Still, come in.
The place is a disaster. Craters in the wall. Empty bottles. Bomb parts used as décor. Hasn't changed much in thirteen years.
She kicks a pile of clothes away from a chair.
Cherri: Uh, sorry. I literally just woke up. You want something? Tea? Coffee? Acid?
Y/N: Coffee.
She lights up like she just got a compliment from the president.
Cherri: Oh thank fuck. Normal choice. Black?
Y/N: Yeah. No sugar or milk.
She shuffles to the kitchen. I sit. The chair groans but doesn't break. Mutual respect.
Cherri: I've also got leftovers! Some kinda... noodle thing? Might still be good.
She slides a questionable container toward me. I open it. Smells intoxicating.
Food is fuel. Poison is also fuel.
I eat. Chew. Swallow.
Cherri: ...Wow. You're actually eating it. I kinda thought you'd, like, sniff it and go "this is poisonous" or something.
Y/N: I'm immune.
Cherri: To... what... poison?
Y/N: Tomost things.
She watches me chew like it's the most fascinating thing she's seen all week.
She hands me coffee. It's strong. Good.
Y/N: I need a favor.
She stiffens. Just a little.
Cherri: Right. There it is. Who am I pointing you at?
Y/N: Ever hear of Zeezi?
Her eyes widen. She laughs once. Nervous.
Cherri: Ohhh. Oh, you're serious. You're really just speedrunning the Overlord population, huh?
