The sound of the rain is deafening as it it hit the concrete roof of the ruin I've taken shelter in. At first, it started as a faint sprinkle. But gradually it evolved into an outright downpour. Growing steadily stronger until the sound drowned out my own footsteps within the empty room. Despite spending the last thirty minutes searching, it seemed that the ruins were mostly deserted. The gray empty buildings of the seemingly abandoned city are devoid of any signs of life. Crumbling and decaying from years of weathering the harsh trials of time and nature. I've no way of knowing where I am. There were no indications that could shed some light to clear the fog of confusion that's clouded my mind. However, one thing I know for certain is that the ruins here must be near a military base of some sort. I recall the distinct sound of roaring engines followed by some kind of aircraft fly overhead. Unfortunately, it was difficult to make out any sort of the details when they flew by. That was almost twenty minutes ago. The only sounds now are my own breathing and the rain. A cold shiver snaked up my spine, prompting me to pull the tattered red cloak - one of two products of my search for answers - closer about my shoulders. The other product of all that work is an old and weathered pistol. Right now, it lay next to me on the floor. Its original owner was nowhere to be found. As were any spare bullets. But a few moments of fiddling with the damned thing and I discovered how to eject the magazine. Which told me that it at least had some ammunition. Though I'm not sure how much. Regardless, it went without saying that I hoped I didn't need to use it any time soon. "It isn't much, but silver linings... right?" I whispered, curling up in a ball. A vain attempt at preserving heat in the bitter cold weather if there ever was one. It's almost laughable, really.
At first I dismissed the peculiar noise as my mind playing tricks on me. It certainly wouldn't be the first time. But there it is again - the distinct sound of booted feet hitting pavement. Slowly rising to my feet, I looked out the window to investigate. The thick curtain of rain made it impossible to see any further past the cracked road just outside. I could make out the silhouette's of a boy and a girl. One taller than the other. They're running after another silhouette. On closer inspection, the boy and girl seemed to be dressed in rather expensive outfits. Matte black and almost gothic in nature. Certainly not meant for exploring abandoned ruins in the rain. A glint of light caught my eye, drawing my attention to their hands. I blinked then shook my head. Unsure of if I'm certain of what I'm seeing. But, looking back again, they were indeed holding a katana in their hand. The blade of the white haired woman's katana appeared to be white. While her partners is... orange? It's hard to tell given the distance. But I'm sure it's orange in nature. Again, I shake my head. This has to be a dream.
The duo slowed to a stop and looked to be talking to the third, more distinct silhouette. Said silhouette seems to be dressed similar to the other girl, save for the small detail of her skirt which wasn't parted at the waist. Much like the duo, she's armed. Wielding a massive sword that's easily as tall as she. I found it hard to imagine any human being able to wield it. Furthermore, blue arcs of electricity danced along its surface. Further prompting me to shake my head again in an attempt to discern if my mind was playing another trick. Yet, despite that, they remained.
It went without saying that I wouldn't gain anything by hiding longer in this crumbling building. If I were going to get answers then I needed to approach them. But just as I rose to my feet, I noticed that the boy held both of his hands in front of him, palms facing the girl with the massive sword. I raised an eyebrow in confusion. Wondering what on earth the boy was doing.
Until the girl in front of him exploded.
The mangled corpse of who I presumed to be the duo's comrade flew backwards a few feet. Even the heavy drumming of rain on concrete couldn't mask the sound of the sickening crunch when the mass of blood, metal, and wiring hit the ground and roll to a stop. I tore my gaze away from the mangled remains of the poor girl - thing - whatever she was. All I knew was that she certainly wasn't human. Maybe, perhaps, an Android, but that's impossible. Of that, I knew for certain. "Why would she go rogue?" I heard over the steady pitter patter of rain. It was a male voice, no doubt belonging to the boy who evidently just murdered that girl. I slid back down behind the remains of the wall I had been sitting against. Peering at the duo warily as they approached the mangled corpse. He looked to his female counter-part who, in-turn, looked down at the corpse.
In one smooth movement she raised her katana and thrusted downwards into the mass of metal and flesh. A spray of sparks flew through the air the moment the blade pierced the body. "It doesn't matter." If I were being honest, the way she spoke so calmly about the murder of another scared me. "Where is the anomaly that Command detected?" Whatever it was they were talking about, I didn't care. They are clearly the type of people to be avoided at all costs. Even if it meant certain death. Anyone who can speak so casually as if they didn't just witness a murder shouldn't be crossed. Nor allowed near me in me book. I needed to get away. Fast.
I scooped up my pistol and made sure to be as quiet as possible while I shrunk back further into the building. Ensuring that I took wide steps over and around debris of varying sizes. Unfortunately, I realized there weren't many places to hide. At least, not on the ground floor that is. My only option, it seems, is to ascend the flight of stairs that I noticed earlier when I arrived. Thankfully they appeared to be mostly intact. Still, that didn't stop me from tentatively testing my weight on each step. The last thing I wanted is to draw the attention of those two murderers outside. "According to 21O, the anomaly is still in this building." I froze. The voice carried the barest hint of an echo as it carried through the air. Drifting ever closer to me while fear in its purest, unbridled form, closed around my throat, making it hard to breath. I can hear their footsteps growing closer. Like a switch being flipped, my senses became acutely sharper. Everything seemed brighter and in greater focus while my heart thundered in my chest. They must be talking about me. Who else? If there were anyone, I'd have found them.
I hurried up the steps with reckless abandon. One flight then another, I climbed the stairs with an energy I previously thought I didn't have. Just as I began to think that I'd escape, a pile of debris on the third flight of steps halted my advance. Like some twisted god had decided to intervene and crush my newfound hope. Frantically, I searched my surroundings. The room looked mostly empty. A large section of wall on the far side of the room appeared to be missing. The massive hole revealed a wide view of the vast courtyard down below. Opposite the room is a doorway blocked with large chunks of concrete. Luckily, it looked like I could squeeze through some of the small gaps between the chunks of concrete.
When I approached the blocked doorway, I heard the footsteps again. Without further incentive, I slip my pistol into my pocket and try to slip through. It's a tight squeeze, but I managed to twist myself at an odd angle and slide through the rubble. Only once or twice did I need to pause and shift into another position. Suddenly, without warning, my hand slipped when I reached out for support. Pain coursed over my palm and, try as I might, I'm unable to stifle the short yelp of pain that followed. One that I cut short quickly by clamping my uninjured hand over my mouth. "Hello?" I heard the boys voice call out. Too late, they knew where I am.
"S-Stay away!" I yelled after I stumbled into the room on the other side of the rubble. It didn't sound very confident, nor very threatening, but it's the best I could do. With shaky hands, I pulled my pistol out. Ignoring the added pain as my cut rubbed against the grip of my weapon. They're footsteps are much louder now. It sounds like their on the other side of the blocked doorway. For some reason, the gun felt heavier in my hands. A quick survey of the room confirmed my worst fear - I'm trapped. There's no other way out save for the way I came and a two story drop out the window next to me. Naturally, there was also nothing that I could use as an improvised weapon if they came too close. Lovely. "I said stay away!" I yelled again, "I-I'm armed!" Hah... that sure did sound better than the first warning. I'm totally safe now.
"We just want to talk!" The boy yelled, his voice barely muffled by the only barrier that stood between me and imminent death. I shook my head, they didn't exactly strike me as the friendly type earlier. Regardless of their reasons, there was no way they could convince me otherwise after what I've witnessed. That two story fall is beginning to seem a lot more tempting now. I wouldn't get away entirely unharmed. But moderately hurt is certainly more preferable than being skewered by those two.
I peered down at the grass through the single window. Then back at the rubble blocking my exit. Through the gaps that I slid through, I could see small flashes of white hair and black fabric. Would they break through the rubble? Could they even do that? What if - "Alert: Human life sign detected." The filtered voice took me by surprise. It's statement adding further to my confusion. But the worry that I now had a third pursuer dominated my confusion. However, that was short lived. While my pursuers questioned the owner of the filtered voice, I ignored them. Now's a good time to set about searching for a way down. I poked my head out the window and looked down. To my dismay, it seemed that no magical platform had materialized during the small amount of time from when I last looked.
"This has to be some kind of trick. All the Humans are on the moon. There is no way a Human can be down here on the planet." For the sake of my own sanity and the mountain of impossibilities that has been thrust upon my mind, I opted to ignore the boy's statement. That filtered voice chimed in again but I ignored whatever it said. If they wanted to get in an argument about whether or not the owner of the filtered voice had short circuited, then who am I to interrupt their fun? I mentally braced myself as I began to climb up onto the window sill. This... is going to hurt. A lot. Hopefully this isn't high enough to break my leg. Although it doesn't look like it, I'm fairly sure that I'll likely twist my ankle at least.
Suddenly an explosion followed by a heavy rumbling sound cut through the air. The resulting shockwave knocked me off-balance. Sending me falling onto my backside. Before I could get my bearings, a sense of weightlessness flooded my body. It would have been pleasant were it not for the impending dread and sudden realization that followed soon after. The floor had given out under me.
Lovely.
For the record, I liked to think of myself as a glass half full kind of person. It certainly helped when things seemed pretty bad before all this. I really couldn't complain. I had a decent job, a nice home, a cat that didn't completely hate my existence, I was on good terms with the neighbors. Although I did wonder if maybe I inadvertently pissed off an angry God, or Gods, and they decided to put me in this situation. Huh. Maybe I could ask them while on my way to the afterlife. I made a mental note just in case.
Darkness...
The first thing I registered when I regained consciousness was just how dusty it is. Debris and dust, likely from pulverized concrete, flooded my lungs, causing me to cough uncontrollably. Tears welled up in my eyes while I blinked rapidly. Struggling to free my hands so that I could wipe them but to no avail. An intense pressure, mixed with undeniably excruciating pain encompassed my body. Accompanied by a new found revelation gave me pause - I'm pinned. There's no easy way to escape. Despite that, I renewed my struggle. Adrenaline flooded my veins, dulling the pain while I fought to survive.
"Dammit! We need to find her!"
"You two search over there! MOVE!"
It was hard to hear the muffled shouting but... were they searching for me? Regardless, I continued to struggle. "H-Help! Ove-" my cry for help was cut short when I began to cough again. Something big must have been moved, or there was some kind of aftershock. The rubble I'm trapped under shifted, sending another cloud of dust to rain down. "I'm over here!" I managed to cry out once my coughing subsided. Dismay and panic began to flood my system. There was no response - no sound - save for the pitter patter of smaller pieces of concrete raining down and my own labored breathing. What if they didn't find me? Would this be my grave? My panic began to slowly increase as the gravity of the situation began to settle in. Who knows just how much concrete I'm buried under. Let alone just how long I had been unconscious. It's subtle, but soon the exhaustion began to set in. Already I could feel your eyelids beginning to grow heavy. I tried to fight it, but soon everything began to slip into darkness.