A stale, metallic scent assaulted Asher's nostrils as consciousness returned. His eyes cracked open to an immense gray sky hanging low above crumbling towers. Where was he? Scrambling up, a wave of dizziness struck—the last thing he recalled was a strange machine and a man's urging voice.
As his vision steadied, dread set in. This wasn't right. Empty streets stretched endlessly in every direction, faded signs the only remnants of what once was. An abandoned city, yet how did he arrive in such a place?
Asher ran gnarled fingers through his hair, desperately trying to grasp at fleeing memories. Only more questions surfaced. With a shaky inhale, he pushed down swirling panic and took in surroundings for clues.
Weathered concrete and rebar twisted at odd angles like the ruins attempted to depict some unknowable chaos. Windows gaped black and hollow from hollowed shells lining the boulevard. Not a soul stirred as far as his gaze fell.
Unease coiled tight in his gut. Where was everyone? What had happened here to leave it as but a greyscale husk? Asher trudged ahead, steps echoing in the oppressive silence, hoping to find answers—or at least a means to quench his growing thirst.
Hours crept by as the sun beat down mercilessly. Still no signs of life appeared, only more dreary architecture leaning at the edge of oblivion. Had some cataclysm swept through to strip everything to the bone? Asher rubbed his parched tongue along cracking lips, praying for a stream or shop ahead.
Just as hope waned into evening's gloom, movement caught his attention down a side street. He darted toward it, spying a rusted neon sign flickering above a corner store. Shelter. Sustenance. Purpose swelled within, driving him the last few yards to whatever was there.
There he was, the blonde guy he saw back at the facility. He looked famished just as Asher. Walking up to him felt like a strain in the foot. He seemed un welcoming but it was better than being alone. Hi, I am Asher Reeds. Do you possibly know why we are here or were you put to sleep by the people with white coat too?.
"I don't think I'm supposed to be talking to you" replied the blonde. He moved farther away from Asher as an attempt to leave but was stopped abruptly by him.
"I don't think you are making the right choice here. Said Asher. " you and I are stuck in a ruins. It might be a test of some kind or something".
Scoffs "test you say, and who are you supposed to be. Let me guess Mr tall guy with a fine build not as great as mine."
Just as he was about to retaliate they heard a loud scream. Without giving them a moment to think or act. An unusual thing appeared.The creature before them, a nightmarish fusion of ant and scorpion, clicked its mandibles together in a sound that echoed off the weathered concrete walls.
Asher hissed through clenched teeth, his knuckles white around the grip of his makeshift spear – a length of rebar with a sharpened piece of steel welded to its tip. His dark hair was matted with sweat, and the tactical vest he wore was covered in the grey dust that seemed to coat everything in this forgotten place.
The blonde guy didn't respond immediately, his eyes fixed on the monster that blocked their path. The thing was easily the size of a small car, its chitinous exoskeleton a disturbing blend of deep browns and blacks. The ant-like head swiveled on a segmented neck, compound eyes reflecting their images back at them thousands of times over. But it was the scorpion body that truly commanded attention – eight legs, each ending in wickedly sharp points, supported the armored thorax, while a tail nearly twice the length of its body arched overhead, ending in a stinger that dripped with an opalescent venom.
"We need to split up," The blonde guy finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. The creature's antennae twitched at the sound, and he immediately regretted speaking. "It can't chase both of us at once." His own weapon, a modified crowbar with serrated edges, felt woefully inadequate against the monstrosity before them.
The ruins around them offered both cover and danger. Fallen chunks of concrete and twisted metal created a maze-like environment, while the unstable buildings loomed overhead, threatening to shed more debris at any moment. The air was thick with dust and the lingering scent of decay that seemed to permeate everything in this abandoned world.
The creature made the first move. With startling speed for something its size, it scuttled forward, its legs creating a horrifying scratching sound against the cracked asphalt. Asher dove to the left while the blonde guy rolled right, barely avoiding the lightning-quick strike of the stinger that crashed into the ground where they had been standing, leaving a small crater in the concrete.
"Circle around blondy!" Asher shouted no longer concerned about staying quiet. He sprinted between two overturned cars, their rusted frames providing momentary cover. The monster's head snapped toward him, mandibles spreading wide to reveal rows of needle-like teeth that had no business being in an ant's mouth.
"My name is Derek you slug" he seized the opportunity, darting forward with his spear extended. The weapon's tip scraped against the creature's armored side, producing a sound like nails on a chalkboard but failing to penetrate. The beast's response was immediate and terrifying – its tail whipped around with impossible speed, the stinger narrowly missing Derek's chest as he threw himself backward.
"The joints!" Asher called out, noticing how the segments of the creature's exoskeleton overlapped. "Look for gaps in the armor!" He emerged from behind the cars, trying to draw the monster's attention away from Derek, who had stumbled and was scrambling to regain his footing.
The creature seemed to consider them both for a moment, its compound eyes shifting between the two humans. Then, with frightening intelligence, it began to move sideways, keeping both opponents in view. Its legs moved with an unsettling grace, each step calculated and precise.
Asher hefted his crowbar, looking for an opening. The fading daylight caught on the weapon's serrated edge, and he realized they were running out of time. Once darkness fell completely, their chances of survival would drop from slim to none.
The beast suddenly reared up on its back legs, revealing a lighter-colored underbelly. Derek saw the opportunity and charged forward, his spear aimed at the exposed area. But the creature had anticipated this – its front legs came down with crushing force, catching the shaft of the spear and snapping it like a twig. Derek's momentum carried him forward, directly into the monster's reach.
"No!" Asher shouted, launching himself toward the creature without thought for his own safety. The world seemed to slow down as he watched the stinger arch overhead, its lethal point aimed directly at Derek's exposed back. Asher threw his crowbar with all his might, the weapon spinning through the air like a deadly propeller.
The crowbar struck the creature's tail just as it was about to strike, throwing off its aim. The stinger plunged into the ground inches from Derek, who rolled away and scrambled to his feet, now weaponless. The monster let out an alien shriek of frustration, a sound that seemed to reverberate through their bones.
Asher found himself uncomfortably close to the creature, within reach of those clicking mandibles. He could smell a sickly sweet odor emanating from its mouth, like rotting fruit and chemical waste. The compound eyes fixed on him, and he saw his own terrified expression reflected hundreds of times.
"The building!" Derek shouted, pointing to a partially collapsed structure to their right. The support beams were exposed, and the whole thing looked ready to come down with the slightest provocation. Asher understood immediately.
They began moving in tandem, Derek scooped up a chunk of concrete and hurled it at the creature's head, while Asher retrieved his crowbar and began backing toward the unstable building. The monster followed, its attention divided between the two humans.
"Ready?" Asher called out, positioning himself beneath the leaning structure. Derek nodded, picking up another piece of debris. The creature advanced, its tail poised to strike. Just as it came within range, Derek threw his projectile, hitting one of its compound eyes.
The beast reared back in pain and fury, its tail lashing out wildly. It seemed to end there suddenly the creature emerged, fury written all over its buggy eyes. It moved fast caught on to Asher pinning him down with no way out. His lungs were strangled.After much struggle to no avail he wasn't breathing.