Most people accept the end,

Find themselves unable to fight.

But she knew someone who would not bend,

And it's difficult because she's right.

Requested by ß AthleticShawol (ø)

...xXx...

She has a headache, one that starts from the throbbing behind her skull to the pounding of her pulse. Brain tumor would have been her usual assumption to the cause - grade iii, month ii since diagnosis, week vi since the beginning of chemo - but she has no doubt that, this time, the reason is different.

"You want to get to her?! You have to go through me first!" Soojung - her long-time friend and current, self-assigned bodyguard - shouts, knuckles white and eyes burning with undeniable fervor.

Hallucinations and hearing problems are also common symptoms that she, unfortunately, has learned to deal with but somehow, she doubts her ability to come up with something as crazy as Soojung arguing with Death over her passing (and no, the hallucinations with the killer Egyptian zombies did not count because she didn't react - I heard that Dari!)

"Look, my job is just to pick that one up, ok?" the male - not even a trace of white in his hair and surprisingly attractive with his simple black suit-and-tie - declares, sighing.

Brain tumor is, without a doubt, difficult, but never has she felt like giving up. She has felt pain so deep that sometimes she already feels dead on her feet (the numbness in her limbs only brought alive by a flare of pain) but there are some joys that linger in her memory-fading brain; this instance, she decides, is not one of them.

"Good luck trying to get her, punk," Soojung spits, stepping in front of her. 

For a second, she wishes the brain tumor stops her from having to deal with this in the first place before she realizes - quite ironically - that that is the basis for the whole argument.

"Get out of the way," Death demands, glaring at Soojung.

"No," Soojung denies immediately.

"Move."

"No!"

"I'm serious!"

"So am I!"

"You can't-"

"Yes, I can."

"No you can't!"

"Yes-"

"No-"

Whap!

"Knock it off, the both of you!" she scolds, waving the rolled-up magazine at the duo.

"But he started it!" Soojung declares at the same time Death complains, "But she started it!"

"Shush," she reprimands, frowning.

"But-Ow!" Soojung complains, pouting more than scowling.

"No buts!" she retorts, turning to Death. "Forgive her. She's protective."

His eyes look into hers, dark and deep, as if her soul was to fall into them.

"You know you can't cheat death," he warns, glancing pointedly at Soojung.

"I know," she acknowledges, opening to continue speaking, but-

"This isn't cheating death!" Soojung declares, stepping between them again. "I'm challenging you to an honorable and acceptable duel right now! Her life on the line!"

"This is non-negotiable," Death snaps, rolling her eyes. "The death of one Choi Sooyeon is to happen no matter what."

"Oh I get it," Soojung states, voice lilting in a dangerously proud tone. "You're scared, aren't you? You don't want to lose to a measly human!"

And right then, as Death's eyes lighten in a way she has learned to associate with challenge and as he opens his mouth to retort with an obvious passion, she sighs and crawls back into the hospital bed; she should have not gotten up this morning.

...xXx...

Author's Note: I would just like to point out the irony that the previous chapter is depressing and with angels while this one features a literal figure of Death and is comedic. It's all about context, perspective, and the idea's origin.