Chapter 2

The doors slid open with a reluctant hiss, and the stale, cold air of the station washed over us. I stepped off first, wincing as a sharp pain shot through my shoulder—the damn gunshot wound was still throbbing, a constant reminder that we were far from safe. The platform was eerily quiet, the kind of quiet that made your ears ring, like the world itself was holding its breath.

Lila hesitated at the threshold, her eyes flicking back to the train with a look that was more irritation than fear. I didn't give her a choice—I grabbed her hand, ignoring the flare of pain in my shoulder, and pulled her onto the platform. The doors shut behind us with a final clunk but this time the train didn't move.

"Alright," I said, my voice low but firm. "Let's figure out where the hell we are."

The station was almost too plain, too ordinary—like it was trying hard not to be noticed. The walls were a dull grey, the kind of colour that fades into the background of your mind. Fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting long, uneven shadows that seemed to stretch on forever.

"You see anything familiar?" I asked, though I knew the answer already. This place was as alien as the others, just wrapped in a different skin.

She shook her head. "No, but nothing which wants me to stab my own eyes out either like the last one."

"Yeah," I muttered, trying to ignore the way my shoulder throbbed with each beat of my heart. "But that doesn't mean it's safe."

We started walking down the platform, our footsteps echoing in the emptiness. Lila's frustration was palpable, her energy almost vibrating off her. She wasn't scared—she was pissed, and I couldn't blame her but we had no idea what was going to happen. It should have been simple.

As we reached the end of the platform, something on the wall caught my eye. It was a rusted, old sign, the letters completely worn away. In their place was a series of strange symbols—triangles, circles with dots in them, lines intersecting in patterns that looked like some kind of forgotten language. I squinted at it, trying to make sense of the bizarre markings.

Lila leaned in closer, her eyes narrowing as she examined the symbols. "What the hell is this supposed to mean?" she muttered, more to herself than to me.

"I don't know," I replied, scanning the symbols carefully. They were completely foreign, unintelligible…except for one. Near the bottom, half-hidden by rust, was a symbol I recognized—a triangle with a circle inside it, a dot dead centre. The same symbol we'd seen on the map, marking what I'd guessed was the end of the line.

My heart skipped a beat, just for a second. "Look at this," I said, pointing it out to her.

She frowned, then her eyes widened slightly as recognition dawned. "That's the one from the map, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Looks like we've finally hit the end of the line." I reached into my blazer pocket, fumbling for a moment before I pulled out a pen. The pain in my shoulder flared again, but I ignored it, focusing on the task at hand. I pulled out the crumpled map we'd been using, smoothing it out against the wall.

Lila watched as I carefully marked off the symbol on the map. It wasn't much, but it was something—a small victory in the midst of all this madness. "At least we know where we are now," I said, capping the pen and slipping it back into my pocket. "And that means we can move forward."

She let out a slow breath, her anger still simmering but now mixed with a hint of something else—hope. "Alright, what's net on this shitshow tour?"

"We follow the line. If this is the end, maybe it leads somewhere we can finally get our bearings." I folded the map and tucked it away, glancing at her.

"I suppose it's time we see what kind of doomsday this is." I turned my head, eyes narrowing as I stared at the stairs leading to the exit. "If its safe out there, we will rest here and make a move in a bit."

Lila nodded as we started to walk towards the stairs.

"One more thing," I added, my voice firm. "Let's avoid any unnecessary bullet holes this time, alright? We stick close. Anything suspicious, and we teleport straight back here. I'm not interested in collecting more scars."

Lila nodded, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Agreed. I've had enough of dodging bullets for one day."

With that, we started up the steps, however each one was wet. The further up we climbed the more of a puddle they had collected. When we reached the top, the sight that greeted us wasn't exactly comforting. Rain—thick, heavy, and relentless—poured down in sheets, so dense that it was impossible to see more than a few feet ahead. The air was thick with a sharp, metallic tang that stung my nostrils.

I stuck a hand out, catching a few drops on my palm, and felt a slight tingle—a burning sensation that wasn't quite painful yet but definitely wasn't normal. "Acid rain," I muttered, narrowing my eyes as I scanned the murky horizon. "Looks like this timeline had its share of 'natural' disasters. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, wildfires—take your pick. They probably all had a hand in turning this place into a wasteland."

I moved to the nearest wall, pressing against it for shelter from the downpour. My shoulder protested the movement, but I ignored it, pulling out the map once more. I scribbled "Acid Rain" next to this stop, underlining it for emphasis. "No point coming back here," I said, more to myself than to Lila.

She huffed, glancing up at the sky as the rain hammered down, creating a cacophony of sound that echoed off the buildings around us. "I'm starting to think your idea of sightseeing needs some serious re-evaluation."

I shot her a dry look, folding the map back up and slipping it into my pocket.

We stood there for a moment, the acid rain pelting down around us, creating small sizzling pools on the ground. The air was thick with the scent of burning, like the world was slowly being eaten away by its own atmosphere.

We didn't need to discuss it further. Both of us knew that this stop was a bust. We turned around and hurried back down the stairs, retracing our steps to the platform. I kept my pace steady, determined to get back to the train before anything else decided to go wrong.

As we reached the platform, we sat down for a bit. We needed to have a break. Although not physically draining it was mentally. I took out one of the water bottles I had in my pocket. I took a couple of gulps and passed it to Lila. It didn't seem like a great idea to rest too long here, the water was starting to pool more, and creating running water to the next step. I wonder if this doomsday has just happened. The train was still here, sitting idle as if it had been waiting for us to come to our senses. The doors slid open with a soft hiss, almost inviting us to step inside. The familiar scent of the train—stale air and a faint hint of machinery—was oddly comforting compared to the acidic wasteland above. The doors closed behind us, sealing us back in as the train hummed to life, the lights flickering briefly.

I moved to one of the seats and sat down carefully, my shoulder protesting as I shifted into a more comfortable position. "Alright, so we've marked one off. Let's see where this thing takes us next."

Lila plopped down across from me, crossing her arms with a sigh. "As long as it's not another acid bath, I'll consider it an improvement."

The train began to move, the familiar clanking of the wheels on the tracks echoing through the carriage. We both stared out the window, the darkness of the tunnel swallowing everything beyond the glass, until the flash of light happens. There was no telling where the next stop would take us, but at least we weren't standing in a toxic downpour, waiting to be dissolved by the rain.

I could still feel the map in my pocket, the weight of it pressing against my side. One stop down, countless more to go.

As the train rattled onward, the tunnel lights flickered, casting eerie shadows around us. We had no idea where we were headed, but at least we had a map—and a fighting chance to get back to where we belonged.

We took a single stop, the train grinding to a halt at a station that, unlike the bizarre mirror one before, seemed utterly mundane.

We stepped out and began pacing up and down the station, searching for any sign that could tell us where we were. This time, the sign was easy to spot, not rusted or obscured, which made our lives a bit simpler. I squinted at the symbols, cross-referencing them with the map.

"Great, we've moved to this one here," I said, tapping the map with my finger. "One station away but on a different line. I can't figure out why it switched. It certainly makes things less predictable."

I marked the symbol on the map, then glanced toward the stairs leading up to the surface. "Let's see where we've ended up this time."

We climbed the steps, and as we emerged into the open air, the world that greeted us was bleak and broken. The Umbrella Academy stood in ruins, crumbling like so many of the other buildings around it. Massive cracks snaked through the ground, some wide enough to swallow a car, but it didn't look completely impassable. Bodies were strewn about, half-buried in the rubble—fresh, from the looks of it. Whatever had happened here, it hadn't been long ago.

"We need more water and some form of bag, maybe some food, but more water is the priority," I said, scanning the desolate landscape. Off to the side, a convenience store stood mostly upright, miraculously spared from the worst of the destruction. Given the choices we'd faced so far—death gravity, acid rain—this place almost looked safer to cross. How I wish I could teleport in a straight line. This bullshit of going straight back to the subway was starting to get old.

Lila nodded, her expression serious. "Looks like it's our best bet. Let's get in and out quickly."

We started making our way across the rubble, stepping over debris and ignoring the arms and legs protruding from the ground in places. It was clear that whatever had hit this place had done so with brutal efficiency—something had torn through the earth, dragging people down or crushing them where they stood. The air was thick with the scent of dust and decay, and the silence was oppressive, like the city was holding its breath.

As we neared the convenience store, I could see that it was still mostly intact, its windows cracked but not shattered. The door hung slightly ajar, swinging on creaky hinges in the faint breeze.

"I'll go," I said, ready to push the door open, but Lila rolled her eyes at me.

"Stop trying to be a hero. You're injured. I'll get what we need."

I shot her a look, half annoyed, half resigned. "Fine, but grab some newspapers too. Whatever seems useful."

She nodded, her expression softening slightly as she headed inside. I stayed outside, leaning against the wall, doing my best to ignore the throbbing in my shoulder. As much as I hated to admit it, she was right—I wasn't in any shape to go charging in. But the sooner we got what we needed, the sooner we could figure out our next move.

From where I stood, I could see the Academy's ruins looming in the distance, a stark reminder of just how bad things could get. This place was a graveyard, but it was also a clue, not our station, not our timeline. We can mark it off.

A few minutes later, Lila re-emerged, her arms full of supplies in carrier bags. "Got what we need," she said, handing me one bag for my good arm. "And some newspapers, like you asked."

"Good. Let's head back to the station," I said, glancing around at the desolation. "The stations might not be too comfortable, but they appear stable from the doomsday. This place is cracked yet the station shows no signs of warping or collapsing. Whatever's going on above hasn't affected them, so they're our best bet but weather seems to be able to get down. They could get cold at night so the newspapers will do for something to lie on and cover up with for now."

Lila nodded, and we made our way back to the platform. "Lets setup here tonight. At least we know nothing is going to come down the steps and the next stop might not be so lucky."

We found a relatively clean spot and began arranging our makeshift camp. As I spread out the newspapers, Lila's curiosity got the better of her. "Is this what it was like when you were stuck in time? Alone?"

I paused, considering her question. "Not quite. When I was trapped in that future, it was a wasteland—endless ruins and silence. I was essentially alone for decades, navigating a world that had fallen apart. The stations here are creepy, but they're actually better than what I had back then. They're intact, and that's something. Back in the future, it was just me and the remnants of a destroyed world. No shelter, no company, just endless isolation."

Lila didn't know what to say. What is there to say? It was shit.

I reached for an apple from the bag and tossed one to Lila. Lila caught the apple and took a bite, seeming to appreciate the small comfort. She came over to the pile of papers I was arranging and helped. She picked one newspaper as a pillow, stacking others for a bit of cushioning, and wrapped herself in a few more for warmth.

I winced as I slipped out of my jacket, feeling the discomfort in my shoulder. I sat by a pillar, draping the jacket over myself as a makeshift blanket. The slight chill of the platform contrasted with the suffocating heat of the outside world. I stared at the exit, the dim light from the platform casting long shadows.

Lila settled onto her makeshift bed, glancing over at me. "Are you okay over there?"

I nodded, adjusting the jacket to cover more of myself. "I'm fine. Just a bit of discomfort. Just keep yourself comfortable. We need to be ready for whatever comes next."

She gave a small nod and settled in, the makeshift blanket rustling softly. The station was quiet but I could hear the hum from the lights. At some point I managed to get a bit of sleep.