The clock is ticking down. Minutes ago, it was announced to the world that there was only an hour left before a missile would be launched that would bring mass destruction. Doomsday has come.

The glowing sun, a crisp circle in the bloody sky, illuminates a quivering path across the water. It bathes the ocean's meek waves and the wispy clouds a burning red. The sight ironically beautiful in such a dire situation.

You stand at the edge of a cliff, your silhouette sharp against the glow of the horizon. footsteps approach slowly from behind, sounding muffled by the grass.

"You came," you say, not needing to look to know who's there.

Your best friend from childhood, Johnny MacTavish. Even when he enlisted, the two of you kept in close contact. And now, as we seem to be approaching Armageddon, you're fulfilling the pact you made as kids- that you'd be by each other's side in the end.

"Of course I did," he replies, laying out a blanket behind you. "We said we'd see this through together."

Together. The word hung in the air like a fragile thread tethering them to something bigger than the moment.

Glancing back over your shoulder, you watch as Johnny sits, the thin blanket soaking up any lingering dew in the grass. "Aren't you needed to save this?"

"Probably," he agrees. "But I made a promise to you. There's hundreds of soldiers who could take my place out there. You, however, only have yours truly to fill this role." He grins, giving an over-exaggerated bow.

Johnny pats the spot beside him. "Now c'mon. Let's watch the world go to shite."