"DIE YOU DAMN DEMON!!!!!!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Kissssssssssss

"Hot Hot Hot!" I thought to myself. Maybe Jumping into a giant vat of molten steel was not the greatest of ideas. 

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Well at least somebody is enjoying themselves. The Laughing Demon clearly thought this whole thing was funny. Its alabaster face twisted into a permanent smile. The rest of its body is as black as moonless night. With a steel-clad hand, I pushed its face under the red-hot liquid sparking and sputtering as I did so.

"HAHAHAHAAAAK---"

Finally! Some peace and quiet. Looking over the edge of the vat toward the bystanders, some were armed, most were not. As I looked around, I realized that there's probably no way I'm getting out of this. The edges of the large metal bucket were simply too far for me to reach or swim to. I do not know the state of my legs; I stopped feeling them a while ago. Though my power armor slowed the process, I was still being slowly consumed. The steel of my armor becomes one with the molten liquid. The hud glitching out, becoming illegible.  My life begins to flash before my eyes, I threw up my left hand in a thumbs up.

You know I always wanted to die a hero's death, I think this counts. "Joshua threw himself into a vat of molten steel to kill a demon." My younger self would have preferred to die in a hail of bullets or a giant explosion, but sometimes you must take the victories life will give you, instead of the ones you wanted.

Now I am old, too old to fight anymore. This is the best ending I could have asked for, instead of dying old and alone. I will die in one last act of heroism. My friends are no longer in this world. They have all died, some more glorious than others. I pray to meet them again.

As I continue to think of the past and present, I think of my regrets. They are only that I was not strong enough. No, I am strong but there is only one of me. I cannot fight everything and everybody at once, though I tried.  Oh, how I tried. Still, I have no other regrets... Ok, maybe I have a few regrets. I should have, I would have, and I could have. These phrases begin to circulate endlessly in my mind. I should have at least kissed her. I would have come running had I known they were in danger. I could have killed him when I had the chance.

"Oh, whatever" the words coming unbidden from my lips. It is not like I can change anything now. I await for my death, creeping ever closer. "If there is a God, I pray that you will show mercy upon me." Perhaps there is not, and I will simply die a brave death. "This may be the last of Joshua, to have another thought, nevermore."