We continued our journey aboard the Hope. It was high noon. We rolled down the withered highway. There was a huge city (supposedly) at the end of this road. The sun was not so friendly today. Temperature outside was visibly scorching. I was inspecting our water tanks. They were approaching concerning levels.
"Hmm… Sooner or later, we'll need to find a source of water."
The Hope eventually reached the city. As we all expected it, there was not a single soul in there. It was only us. We stopped by several times as we spotted ponds and rivers. Yet, they were all highly contaminated. At one point, we reached a housing complex.
"Well, you look at that…"
Abandoned buildings covered in vegetations, rusted playgrounds, and torn down asphalts. The quietness made it all even eerier.
"There's a river up ahead!" Juan said, spotting the flowing water.
"You're right! It looks calm…" Lana added.
"I won't put my hopes up this time," I said. "Judging so far since our entry to this ghost city, no water sources have been safe to use."
"Every water source is worth checking, Goldwin," Gareth tapped my shoulder. "Joko, Hana, why don't you two go inspect it?"
"Okay."
"On it, sir."
"I bet this will be a waste of time… Well, whatever. Park the Hope over there."
As the super vehicle parked, Joko and Hana went out to test the calm river. I also went outside for a stroll while keeping the two company. Birds chirped from across the river. There was a forest just past the river.
"You know what's in there, Roy?"
"Beep-beep. This place is Rollos Avenue. Across is Rollos Woods. Data collected from the past decade shows that the forest is home to some endangered bird species and some wild animals."
"Is that so. Do you think they're still there?"
"Beep-beep. There is no record whether the animals are still inhabiting the ecosystem aside from the data from a decade ago."
"Heheh. Who could've thought…"
"M-Mr. Goldwin! The water!" Joko yelled.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's bad, right?"
"Uhh, no, sir," Hana responded. "The test kit shows that it has minimal contamination!"
I instantly turned to their face, "Holy mother of… Get the hose ready. We'll purify them and fill up our tanks!"
Joko and Hana hurried to get the purifier. As the process started, I hummed to myself, crouching while watching the reflection on the water. It was a good day when we found a usable water source. I even started to think of staying around for a few days.
Alas, a needle popped the balloon of thoughts above my head. A scream tore through my ear. It was Hana's. I rushed to her position and found a freaking bear trying to maul down the kids. I quickly reached out my gun…shoot, I left it in the Hope! I quickly dashed, shoving the bear, causing it to fall off a few meters away from us. The shoulder part of my coat was wet. I assumed the bear jumped out of the water.
"Guhh… You two okay?"
"I'm… I'm okay. T-That was scary…"
"I'm fine, I think. It suddenly popped out of the river, Mr. Goldwin!"
I was right. Looking at the bear, it got up even though it slipped a few times. I saw it having four to five eyes with rocks erected out of its skin. Its gaze and roar sent our bodies shivering. I reflectively picked up a rock beside my shoe.
"Waaah!"
"What should we do?"
"Go. Get back in the Hope, quick!"
Joko yanked Hana away just in time, their footsteps echoing as they bolted for safety. The bear had its eyes locked on them, but I wasn't about to let it have its way. I scooped up a rock, rough and cold in my hand, and hurled it straight at the creature. It struck dead center in its eye with a satisfying *thunk.* The beast recoiled, shaking its massive head in disoriented pain.
Its eyes turned to me, burning with rage. I didn't have time to regret my choice. Running back to the Hope was pointless—no way could I outrun this thing. Especially not a mutated one. The bear's muscles bulged unnaturally beneath its fur, its claws long enough to shred steel. My heart pounded, but I stood my ground, arms raised and fists clenched.
The bear charged. The ground shook beneath its weight as it thundered toward me, snarling and furious. There was no turning back now.
"Guess it's down to throwing hands, huh!" I muttered, gritting my teeth.
I sidestepped the first swipe, narrowly avoiding the bear's massive claws as they sliced through the air. I felt the wind rush past my face, and I knew that if I'd been just a second slower, I'd have been torn in half. I ducked low and threw a sharp jab into its side, feeling the dull thud as my fist connected with its ribcage. The bear grunted, stumbling, but it wasn't enough. Its thick hide and raw power made it nearly impossible to hurt with just brute force.
I dodged another swipe, but the bear was relentless. It swung its paw again, and this time, I wasn't fast enough. Claws raked across my left shoulder, tearing through my coat and flesh. A hot, searing pain flared up, but I bit down, refusing to let it slow me. Blood trickled down my arm, but I kept moving.
"Come on, big guy, that the best you've got?" I taunted through gritted teeth, circling the beast. It growled and charged again, its beady eyes filled with rage.
I dodged and weaved, throwing punches where I could, landing blows on its massive form. I could feel the bear wearing down. It was powerful, yes, but it was also wild and unfocused. I had a plan. A trick I'd learned from an old martial arts master years ago, before the world turned to ruin. It was a technique that required precision, a combination of pressure points and timing. I just needed the right moment.
The bear reared up on its hind legs, roaring with fury. It was now or never. I stepped in close, dodging one final swipe, and with all the speed I had left, I reached up with my right hand. My index finger extended, I aimed for the nerve cluster just beneath the bear's jaw.
I struck with pinpoint accuracy—just a light tap with my finger.
The bear's body froze for a split second, its roar dying in its throat. Then, like a puppet with its strings cut, it collapsed. Its massive body hit the ground with a dull *thud,* the earth trembling beneath us. It was out cold.
I stood there, panting, clutching my bleeding shoulder. The adrenaline still pumped through me, but a smile crept across my face.
"Guess I still got it," I muttered, wiping the blood from my brow as I turned back toward the Hope.
Just as I caught my breath, Mr. Gareth and Juan came sprinting out of the woods, a gauss rifle in hand. Gareth's eyes darted between me and the unconscious bear, clearly prepared for a firefight.
"Well, look who decided to show up," I said, smirking. "Took you long enough. I had quite the fiery dance with this one."
Gareth let out a breath, lowering the rifle as he looked at the bear sprawled on the ground. "Damn it, Goldwin, you could've been killed."
"Could've," I shrugged, wincing slightly as my shoulder reminded me of its fresh wounds. "But wasn't. Guess I needed to shake out the rust on these old joints."
Gareth knelt down beside me, immediately noticing the blood soaking through my shirt. "Theo, Lana," he barked into his PDA, "bring the first aid kit. Now. Goldwin's hurt."
Juan stepped closer, his face a mix of awe and concern. "Six eyes," he murmured, inspecting the bear. "And look at the rock formations on its skin... This thing's a tank."
"Yep," I said, nodding. "Probably a result of some radioactive stew out there. Nature's own twisted experiment, turning this poor beast into something straight out of a horror flick."
A few minutes later, Theo and Lana rushed over with the kit. Lana gave me a sharp look, not pleased with my condition. "You really need to stop taking on mutants barehanded, Old Man," she scolded, kneeling beside me to patch up my shoulder.
"Hey," I grinned, "pistol bullets wouldn't have done much anyway. You see that thing's skin? I'd have wasted half a clip before it even felt a tickle."
Lana rolled her eyes but didn't argue. "Just... bring your gun next time. Please. You've got nothing to prove."
As the adrenaline slowly faded, I relaxed, letting them bandage me up. Gareth still looked guilty as he stood by. "Sorry we weren't there sooner," he said, shaking his head. "We should've—"
"Don't sweat it," I cut in, giving him a pat on the arm. "I've faced worse. Besides, it's good for me to stretch the old muscles. Builds character."
Juan couldn't help but chuckle, though his eyes lingered on the bear, still uneasy. "Even so... we've got to stay sharper than this."
"We will," I nodded. "Next time we'll be ready. But for now, let's get back to the Hope. I've had enough dancing for one day."
With that, they helped me up, and we made our way back to our mobile fortress, leaving the unconscious bear behind.