Fall from Glory

This was the end of Kuma, and brick by crumbling brick did they fall. Pipes dueled with each other on their way down. A bounty of invigorating explosions encapsulated the scenery. The symbol of the bear had begun to shudder onto whatever knees it had left. With the fall of the company came the simultaneous fall of millions of men and women who poured their hearts out to please their masters.

Renji stared wide eyed as the body of White, the man who tortured him for so long, plummeted to the ground alongside him, three bullet holes lodged into his appropriate white suit, now bleeding red alongside it in a spiral of color like one of those bad jokes about a zebra rolling down a hill. This time, however, it was a fully grown, curly-haired man. White had kidnapped Renji and tortured him into submissive killing for the despicable mafia he had created since he was in the 4th grade, or so he would've been had he not been abducted before the start of that semester. Renji had seen many an innocent man lose their life at his hands, but right now, a noble sacrifice had lead to justice.

That's what Renji considered it, at least, until Kamina began to reach out his hand amidst the pile of Bear-head wearing casualties which were multiplying as the two boys fell to their supposed deaths. He heard Kamina yelling for him to " Grab on!! Now!! " as he obeyed the command. Obeying was something he'd done for his entire life, but he’d finally reclaimed his agency to do so. A distressed look laid on his face, something Renji never saw. Kamina always had that shit-eating grin on his face whether he felt content with his life or not. However, when his best friend's life was on the line, he’d never hesitate to do his best and save it, the same being for the latter.

The boys' arms reached out for each other, grabbing onto each other immediately. The plan was simple: latch onto a pipe line which was stretching around a power plant. The pipe was detached off the pale tower and hung down, spewing a gas substance neither of them wanted to inhale. Luckily, it'd quite literally ran out of gas, when Kamina would grab onto it. There was nothing to fear from this maneuver, Kamina thought. He could climb down from this position and touch down safely onto some nearby rubble, which hopefully was not at all radioactive.

Unfortunately, Renji also knew that his best friend tended to be incredibly stupid. The two were mere seconds before they would grab onto the pipe and slide down to the bottom. There was little to no risk except another series of explosions which traveled across the power plant. The two clutched each other tightly, almost like tragic lovers. Renji finally smirked in this whole ordeal and nodded to Kamina, who returned the nod as the latter reached out his arm to the pipe. In what perhaps might be the greatest and also the most tragic coincidence of a lifetime, Kamina grabbed the pipe successfully.

Simultaneously, however, a tremor-filled explosion rocked the plant tower they were right next to. It wasn't a gigantic one, but it was enough of a quake for Kamina's microchip to shatter and for the two to be sent flying into a gigantic brick wall. Renji's sight became a complete blur. He felt his sides getting turned to mush. He rolled down the makeshift hill, suffering multiple cuts and bruises from the assorted concrete and steel materials. If Renji were lucky to survive this, a tetanus shot would be the least of his worries. He eventually rolled face first onto the warm concrete road, not knowing what happened to his best friend.

Everything went wrong. While Renji was laid onto the concrete, Kamina smashed into the brick wall headfirst, tumbling down several rough pieces of concrete before smashing his head into another brick building. The back of his head hit the wall this time, ensuing a vicious game of ping pong with his falling self. His spiky, golden blond hair had been tattered with red. His muscular physique had been deflowered with cuts, most of which became infected in seconds. His fall was finally broken....with one more blow to the cranium on a brick loose from a wall, opening another wound and sending him circling through the streets dazed before falling on his back. 3 wounds to the head. Him and Renji were lucky they didn't explode themselves.

" ....Kamina.....hey.....the hell....KAMINA!!! "

What was blurred sounds to Kamina was paranoia to Renji. As he stumbled to his feet, everything was cross-eyed. Only the brightest colors of fire and explosions stuck out to him. He continued to stumble helplessly. Every organ or bone in his body felt some kind of burn, bruise, or break. His eyes burned the most until they immediately went numb. He staggered forward and felt his shoe poke something warm as he jumped.

" KAMINA?! "

Renji couldn't even hear himself. He felt the body roll away from his foot, and he could barely make out the voice of his best friend. He tripped over trying to pull himself back to the earth, thankfully falling on his back and not on Kamina himself. The two laid side by side on the ground. Rubble slowly crumbled from above followed by another collection of explosions. Kamina mumbled things Renji couldn't hear. Both faces and clothes were caked in red. If ambulances and cop cars hadn't been heard in the distance, this would be where they recall their final moments. Paramedics rushed to the two and loaded them on stretchers, asking them constant questions on if they were okay, if they needed anything. Renji couldn't speak a word. Kamina only had five.

" Where the hell am I. "