Beatle sits down on his armored jeepney bus and drives off while Billy, wearing a hood and cloak, sat beside him.
"So... They use the blood of Angels? These... weird winged humanoids... Things...? with multiple wings?"
"No, no. Their ships have multiple wings."
"You're telling me that these creatures actually do exist."
Beatle squints his eyes and sniffles a bit. Beatle grunts and mutters while staring at the road.
"Abe the Abbot. Turns out you're Beatle. Where'd ya get the name, 'Abe'?"
"From uh... a band in my old phone I brought with me to this place. Abba."
"'Abba'?"
"They made music. Not from my particular uh... generation... But my Aunt loved it." Beatle focuses hard while driving on the road. The road was barren, dead, and cold, with a thin sheet of ice forming above it.
"You had parents? We always thought you were that crazy old kook from the farm. My brother and I used to make fun of ya."
"Yeah, well... I'm shocked you guys thought I was an abbot. Kinda weird. What made me look like an abbot?"
"Ah. You looked pretty stupid. Heheheh. One joke about you led to another then came a joke that you were some kinda abbot teaching us incoherent nohohohonsense!" he laughed.
"Yeah. Hilarious. Anyway..."
"What are those triangles all over your chest?"
"They used to hold my emblem."
"Thought it was a demon symbol."
"Nah. You see, if it's upside-down, it's a demon symbol. If it's upside-down. Yeah. Right-side-up, though, it's uh... somethin'... somethin' else."
"So, it's a demon symbol... Upside-down... and THEREFORE it is a good thing? I mean, Angel symbol?"
"Can we please not talk about the symbol?"
"So, who gave it to ya? Mom? Dad? Aunt? Uncle? Grandpa? Gramomma?"
"I'm not comfortable talking about my family either. Hey, look! A dead deer!" smiled Beetle, staring at a dead deer. "Holy shit. That Mutant bear is... committing... necrophilia. Actually, don't look at that." He said frantically while covering Billy's eyes.
"Okay!" smiled Billy.
Suddenly, the engine begins murmuring rather bizarrely, eventually stopping to a halt.
Beatle slams his head on the edge of the jeep's steering wheel. He opens the door and hops down.
"What is this peculiar vehicle, anyway?" asked Billy. "It's like an elongated jeep. Like a penis!"
"Do you know what a penis even is?"
"Of course! I-I-I'm a boy!"
Beatle snickers. "Surely... FUCK!!! Engine's busted... Likely the thing-a-ma-jig was wig-a-ma-figged. Bug-a-boos and rigamagoos."
"You didn't even check the car. And what the fuck were you just-?"
"It doesn't work. Trust me. Just... I can tell, okay? I can-... Ugh... Hard to explain."
"Isn't that just your anxiety?"
"No. More like a weird spidey sense."
"A whaty sense?"
"Kids these days and their lack of faith in the classics. Ugh. Back in the 2010s and 2020s he was huge."
"It's 2902."
"Ugh... The timeline's so confusing. Joke's on you. You wouldn't get it. Anyway. Take this..." Beatle hands him a blaster in the shape of a cross he held in his holster. "Get."
"Whoa! And do what!?" Billy catches it but nearly trips.
"Shoot anything that moves."
"Crap... Thing's heavy! What's this thing made of?"
"Children's dreams. Not in a weird way. Anyway. We got company."
"Wait. Someone's been following us!? COULDA FILLED ME IN A LITTLE EARLIER!!!"
"Yeah, well... I was busy um... talking to you about Abba."
"WHAT THE FUCK IS ABBA!?!?"
"DO YOU NOT LISTEN TO ANYTHING I SAY-!?!? Oh, Goddamn it, Billy. The critter's here."
"Uhhhh... Critter?"
"The COCK." He said with conviction.
"Why did you say that with conviction?"
"Basic procedure in the Philippines. You wouldn't understand."
"'Basic procedure?'"
"Basic procedure."
Suddenly, a Zodiac appears wearing the skin of a rooster's head stretched over his face. He wheezes and laughs. For a rooster, he's rather tall and large.
"Now, that is a huge COCK!!!" smiled Billy.
"HA!!! You fuckin' fell for it. Death Leopard would be proud."
"Who?"
"Smelly boy says 'What?'"
"WHAT!?!?"
Beatle maniacally laughs. "Ah... Good times. Billy. Shoot it. Shoot the chicken."
The large muscular man growls at them.
"Why are you making me do this?" Billy's head turns to his direction as his fingers shuddered over the gun's barrel and handle.
"Billy. These motherfuckers murdered your family. I am Vengeance."
"Why are you talking like a god?"
"Oh, Billy. You have no idea. Shoot the chicken, Billy."
"Why!? Isn't that... unethical!?"
"Ethics is a moral law. I AM THE MORAL LAW!!! And I allow this. I am vengeance."
"Okay, VENGEANCE!!! Explain to me why killing him would make me ETHICAL!?!?"
"Your people have no religion. You shouldn't have trouble doing this."
"I'm... not up for killing things... ANYTHING."
"Oh... my... God... You have passed the test, Billy!"
"Really?"
"NO!!! FUCKING SHOOT HIM!!!"
"WHY!?!?"
"Their tribe is a danger to Humanity. My purpose is to destroy them. For life, autonomy, and freedom is the right of all Humans out there."
Billy stares at Beatle, pausing for a short second with a flabbergasted look. "WHAT!?!?" he shouted, frustrated with Beatle's riddles.
"Shoot the chicken."
"NO!!! I am NOT committing murder!"
"Shoot the chicken."
"NO!!!"
"Billy. Shoot the fucking chicken."
The Chicken Man stands up and beats Beatle to the ground.
"Billy. My memories haven't fully formed in my head. I kinda... forgot how to use my powers..." said Beatle, slowly standing up as the Chicken Man pummels him down with blood fluttering like rose petals in the wind.
"WHAT. THE. FUCK... This is a very terrifying and TRAUMATIZING EXPERIENCE!!!"
"Billy. Do you want me to die, Billy? Well... Do you?"
"You're a monster."
"Damned STRAIGHT I am! If you want yourself to be of use to me, you HAVE to kill that thing!"
"It's a person."
"We... aren't... people. We are your objects... We are your guardian angels... You don't pray to us... You don't respect us... We are meant to provide help for you..." said Beatle, as the Chicken Man beats him to near-death. Beatle is then thrown into a tree, causing Billy to run after him while his feet sink in the cold ground. He shivered, clenching his cloak while he stumbles to Beatle's dying body.
"BEATLE!!!"
Beatle's silver glowing eyes flicker. "We are bigger... Taller... and stronger... But our purpose is to serve you, and theirs is to destroy. I care more about your kind... And your own kind turned themselves into something like us... Something stronger indeed, but... in the end, simpler.. We are NOT human. We mean nothing. I promised to never kill a Human. Though, noble as it may be, I am just an object. If I die, for this world, promise me to let it happen."
Billy's eyes quivered upon that statement. They go teary and a flicker of light shines upon his eyes, saddened from Beatle's words. "Beatle... He's coming toward us... He's a slow walker."
"Then shoot," said Beatle. "I will not fight back. Rationally thinking, I believe that this is the best way for Humanity's salvation."
"By getting yourself killed!?"
"Shoot him, Billy. I know you have grown attached to me because you think I'm like you. I'm not. So, when I die, promise me that you'll fulfill my purpose."
"No... I won't let you die."
"Why?"
"Because... I don't want to be alone."
Beatle's eyes go gentle. "Fine..."
Beatle turns to the COCK.
"BUCK BUCK COCK!!! ALL HAIL, MORNINGSTAR!!!"
"Walk away."
"No. For Morningstar..." sneered the Chicken Man. "I'd rather die than walk away."
"Then rather." Beatle stands up and grabs the chicken man's face, crushing his head as gray matter and blue blood splatter everywhere.
Billy looks dumbfounded. "You... could've-..."
"That was... terrible of me. I'm sorry. I didn't realize I have caused you pain. I wanted... to teach you how to kill us."
"Don't ever say that."
"Huh?"
"DON'T CALL YOURSELVES OBJECTS!!! You can talk! You can think! You can make promises! You FEEL. You guys were HUMAN. You aren't... objects..."
"My purpose is to protect Humanity."
"Override it! I don't care about all that junk where you just scared me half to DEATH!!! ALL I CARE ABOUT IS HOW YOU DOWNPLAYED YOUR OWN EXISTENCE!!!"
"My purpose is to protect you."
"WHY!!?!?"
"I am a Crusader of Christ. That is my purpose."
"What... are you...?"
"I am the St. King. You have your answer."
"Why are you acting like this? You were just some sad hobo living in the town's cave for ten years! Now, you're talking like some robot! Were you just mimicking us!?"
"Because that is my purpose. And yes. I was. What I find to not understand is... Why do you care?"
"I used to be made fun of for being different. Acting different..." He tiptoed his feet. "I don't want you to be made fun of for that. I understand what it's like to be less human. I was called freak, idiot, broken. But, I can't be broken. I'm not an object. Neither are you. If you were an object, you wouldn't care about me, or anyone. That's hypocrisy."
Beatle's eyes widen. "You said you used to make fun of me."
"I know... And I was wrong for that. I was just placing my fears onto you. My own insecurities."
"You are a wise child, Billy. But my purpose is to serve and protect you. And I need you to learn how to kill people like me."
"Why!?"
"Because it is the best way to keep people like me from hurting you."
"What about people like me who hurt other people like me!?"
"That's my predecessor's problem. My purpose is to fight and protect. His is to spread the Word and love. There is a difference with our purposes."
"What are you!? Like... Why do you act like this!?"
"I am what they call a Messiah. A St. King. A Buddha. An Enlightened One. A Prophet. A Moses. I am a protector of all. And my purpose is to protect you. I had an army once, but... I can't contact them from here. The Philippines is far too... walled... now... Ever since that bitch went into power."
"Aurora Morningstar."
"Yes. Her. Listen very carefully..." He genuflected before the boy. "I need you to be strong. I'm very sorry for forcing you. But listen. I want you to kill. NOT NOW. But later. Okay?"
"Why?"
"Because I chose you, Billy. To be my lieutenant."
"Huh!?"
"If I have a lieutenant in the Philippines, I'm going to need someone to hold the fort together here. I fear that the war is coming to your continent. We must reach the capital and make sure to kill the Zodiacs' leader."
"Why?"
"The Zodiacs are a cult who pray to Aurora. I'm here to kill them. They've been ruling your nation for years. If I kill them, I can get back to my people and protect my own."
"I thought your kind were objects."
"My kind will die for humanity. We have accepted that fact. But, we still love each other. I... still love them... I fear for them. Remember, we were Humans once, too."