***Sorry I haven't written in a while. School and such, and my love of my other, ongoing fanfiction story. This chapter's all about action! Hope everyone enjoys, and don't forget to review of you have questions, ideas, or concerns!***
The sun was a little past midday as I weaved my way through an overgrown neighborhood. I think I had a few classmates who used to live here.
I pedaled past houses taken over by two foot high grass. These houses used to be the picture of what a home owner's association would be. Now, they had just reached a state of decay on par with "trailer trash" and not quite "post-apocalyptic". The lawn decorations, once quite classy, now looked like junk. I passed a plastic pink flamingo, wondering who still thought those were in. It was strange to see.
As I turned off a paved street onto a dirt road, my bike squeaked. Nothing hideous, just the usual wear and tear squeak of a well-loved bike. I stopped immediately. This neighborhood was completely evacuated. I was the sole living thing for a good square mile.
Or, at least, I was supposed to be.
All I should have heard was the slight breeze rustling through the deadened tree branches and what few remaining leaves there were. But I heard it. The snap of a twig, the crunch of brittle, fallen leaves. I waited and waited, listening.
Suddenly, I whipped the bike around and sped off back the way I came. I heard a terrifying roar behind me. Obviously, I spoiled someone's plans.
My legs pumped as hard as they could. I could hear the heavy thud thud thud of footsteps. Four. Whatever was behind me was certainly not human. Not anymore.
I zoomed around a corner, my back tire skidding slightly. I took the opportunity to glance at whatever was chasing me; I regretted it immediately.
It was covered in blackish, brownish fur, with massive, pointed teeth. Drool poured from its jaws, running down its matted coat and spinning off behind it. Huge claws dug into the cement road, scrabbling, trying to get a purchase on the smooth texture. Every footstep was accompanied with a terrible snarl or howl as it tried to gain some sort of ground.
Luckily, I'm pretty damn speedy on my bike, and the roads all sloped down. And, I knew where I was going; I could brace for my turns in preparation, but the creature had only a second to try and move its massive bulk on a hairpin turn.
I sped down empty street after empty street. I tried to read the street names, but with my speed and imminent death barreling down on me I could only get a few letters and general size. Was that Wasatch Blvd, or Washington Rd? The creature clipped the edge of my jacket with a swipe. God, I hope it was Washington, I thought, darting down the next road. Just a few more yards...
Suddenly, my bike was ripped out from under me. For a second, I kept going forward, still in position, then the ground rushed toward me. Instinctively, I held out my arms.
I rolled a good twenty feet before coming to a stop. Blinking, I managed to scramble to my feet and glance back at my bike.
The creature was ripping it to shreds. I mean, literally ripping metal from metal, like it was nothing more than paper.
My bike was decimated in a matter of seconds. Its eyes locked on me. I backed up a few steps.
Stepping over the wreckage of my bike, the creature slowly stalked toward me. Its mouth was a living cauldron of droll and slimy tongue as it licked its lips. I kept backing up, slowly but surely.
It knew it had me cornered. A snicker escaped its throat, and it stood up on its hind legs. Walking toward me, I watched it smile and crack its knuckles. I was reminded in that moment that this thing was not an animal, not some mindless beast. Somewhere beneath all tat matted fur and deadly teeth was a human. Twisted, insane, and murdering, but still an intelligent human. The body of a monster, with the mind and critical thinking of a human. The ultimate predator.
It laughed then, a guttural, horrifying cackle as it raised one giant, clawed hand.
It was lightening fast, but I was the speed of sound. I rolled to the left, barely dodging the claws as they dug into the cement. Popping up, I darted around behind it and ran for my bike. The twisted remains of metal were scattered across the road, but I managed to pick up a sizable chunk of the frame. As my hand touched it, my vision blurred and shifted for a second. Blinking, I closed my fingers around the needle-like sword and turned around.
The creature was furious. It was looking over its shoulder as it turned, its eyes drilling into me. A chunk of cement was in its palm. It crushed it into rubble with a snarl and dropped to all fours.
I turned to the side and brandished my sword. With a roar, the beast charged at me. But again, I flitted to the left, slashing as I went. I heard a satisfactory howl, but I didn't stop to look what I'd done. I happened to glance up and see a pink flamingo staring at me with a stupid grin fixed on it face. I finally realized where I was. Only another block or so and I was safe.
Running never felt so slow. I could hear the creature charging me, and at the last second I flattening myself on the ground. It sailed over me, skidding on the pavement, and I quickly ducked underneath another swing from its massive arm. I drove my sword into its arm, losing it in the process. I kept going though, despite having lost my only hope of defense.
I cut through someone's yard, using the overgrown weeds to slow down the giant while I weaved my way through the thicket. It howled in frustration. I couldn't help but grin, knowing the creature thought little sweet me was sure to be easy prey. And then my smile disappeared, realizing it was a human who hunted and ate humans.
I broke out onto the street, glanced both ways (old habits die hard), and sprinted down it. I could hear the creature still pushing through the weeds and overgrowth. Turning around, I waited for it to break through.
With a roar and a burst of vegetation, the creature ran onto the street, ran toward me with blood-crazy eyes... And stopped dead in its tracks.
It looked in horror as ten or so armored men stepped forward, cocking shotguns. A tank swung its turret around and locked on. Another dozen or so men stepped out from behind barricades and fences, each holding machine guns. As the creature began to back away, one of the men took aim with a bigger, bulkier weapon. The creature spotted him, and turned in terror, trying to get a hold on the cement. The man fired his weapon, but instead of a bullet or a missile, a net launched out.
The creature howled in frustration as the net rained down over it. It fell to the ground with a shuddering thud, its legs tangled up in the netting.
Other men moved up then, unloading darts into the creature. After nearly a dozen, the creature finally gave up, and slumped, unmoving. Only the hairs on its back trembled, showing signs of life.
I stood a little back from the MRDies while they did their work. While I'm glad the creature won't be hunting anyone else, I wasn't too thrilled with the way they handled mutants. Even now, while the creature was completely subdued, even snoring, they clamped an anti-mutant collar around its neck. The creature whimpered as the shocks from the collar grew. The collar only turned off when powers weren't being used; the creature couldn't exactly do that.
I moved to the side as a truck backed up to the creature. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned my head.
"Well done there, kid. Ever think of joining the MRD?" The man was tall, with a mustache. He had striking grey eyes and a nice smile.
I shook my head.
"What's the matter, spooked by that monster?"
I smiled and shook my head again, and pointed at my throat.
His smile disappeared and his hand dropped from my shoulder. "Well, good. The MRD doesn't suit your style."
I watched him as he walked away. I couldn't blame him; practically everyone in Siderock was a mutant. Of course, even if we all weren't rampaging through the streets, we all were threats to humanity. That made sense. To someone, I guess.
I looped around the MRD troop until I spotted my man. Like something out of an old World War II movie, the Major wore his finest every day, right down to every last pin. He had a severe face, weathered by, as he puts it, more than enough encounters with the other kind. Three claw marks run from his forehead down to his upper lip, giving him a perpetual snarl. His cobalt eyes gaze into a man's sole. Most people can't look him in the face, whether its from the scars or the way he stares them down.
I waited patiently for him to bark out orders and unnecessarily criticize a man before stepping up to him. I looked him straight in the eye and raised an eyebrow.
The Major sighed. "What do you want, kid? A Congratulations?"
I didn't do anything.
The Major shook his head and grumbled, "You're reckless, you know that? Fighting that monster on your own, toying with it like that. You will be killed, I can guarantee that."
I nodded quietly.
"Fine!" he snarled, "Here," and shoved a note in my hand, "your choice from the MRD supplies. And don't say the MRD didn't do anything for you."
I nodded and gave him a salute. The note was clearly prewritten, but the Major had his idiosyncrasies. We work my payment before I risk my life, naturally, but the Major doesn't want to look like he's just giving away free passes. Everything is earned, and even if I did just hand the MRDies their most wanted, I still had to be treated like some punk.
Luring mutants wasn't my first choice for work, but as the number of volunteers-no, bait-dwindled, the prizes for helping grew in quality. I'm one of the few who's lasted longer than three outings. Most others have gotten a limb bit off by the second, and by the third they end up dying. I've got ten under my belt... I think. Maybe eight. Damn memory was failing me, again.
I had everything I needed, and more, so the free MRD supplies was wasted on me. But, I could always find some family that needed extra medicine or a new cot.
New Ravenmore was as bustling as ever. News had reached the compound that the neighborhood was clear from rampaging mutants, and families were getting ready to pack up and head back to what houses were left. No one congratulated me; the MRD weren't likely to give credit to some eighteen-year-old, or however old I was. I instinctively rubbed my temples again, wondering if I'd ever remember when my birthday was.
I "talked" with a family known as the Robinsons. With four kids, all seriously cancer stricken, they needed help with medications. I handed them the pass, and managed to duck away before they could try to give me anything.
The walk home was uneventful. I only forgot my way twice, a new record. I think. At least, a new record for the past few weeks. And it only took me a few blocks to realize my mistakes. I was improving.
Home wasn't home anymore. Home was the place I was supposed to go to feel relaxed, and sleep away the hours. Now, as the sun set over the mountains, I sat in a chair and ran over my list.
Who am I? I'm Victoria Greene, possibly eighteen years old. What do I look like? I have blue eyes, brown hair, and I'm averagely tall. Where am I? In Siderock. I used to have a dad, who's name I don't remember, and who's been missing for awhile. I don't have a mother. I don't think so.
I paused.
I used to know a boy named Ryan. I can't remember his last name, or much about him, except that he saved me from the bomb.