Scavengers

The broad man who just introduced himself with an air of authority, standing tall and vigilant like a seasoned soldier.

After addressing Drake, his gaze shifted towards Aaron and Serena, carefully assessing both of them.

His eyes were narrow, mirroring Drake's, and he donned the same cloak adorned with a crimson skull emblem. A firm grip clutched his hefty firearm, as if he was on high alert around them.

Meanwhile, Drake nonchalantly wandered amidst the charred stalls, casually examining the remnants of the brutalized bodies.

His indifference was unsettling, as if the grotesque scene held no significance.

Serena sheathed her sword, diverting her attention from the carnage to Aaron, who had been engrossed in an unspoken challenge of staring into each other's eyes contest with Hen.

Serena's gaze scanned the desolate landscape, strewn with rubble and shattered stalls from the recent humanoid attack.

Amidst the destruction, her eyes fixated on a small, charred figure, causing her pupils to dilate in shock.

Aaron, who had been absorbed in the gaze-locking contest with Hen, finally tore his eyes away and directed his focus towards Serena's face.

It was then that he noticed the tears welling up in her eyes and the tremor coursing through her body.

"Are you okay?" Aaron's voice quivered with concern as he looked into Serena's eyes.

His robotic arm instinctively tightened around her waist, offering support and warmth.

The silence was broken by Drake, who nonchalantly remarked, "Well, I suppose there's nothing special here. Let's head back to the fleet." He wiped his bloodied hand with a handkerchief, while Hen nodded and engaged in conversation through his wristwatch.

Curiosity piqued, Serena couldn't help but inquire, "You have a fleet?" Drake turned his gaze towards her and responded, "Hah! Of course we do. So, what about you two? Would you like me to take you to the refugee camp?"

He glanced at Serena's injured shoulder and added, "You can receive treatment there as well." Serena turned to Aaron, seeking his opinion.

Aaron observed Drake intently, contemplating whether or not to trust him.

Drake voice filled with urgency. "Are you going to join us or not?" Before they could respond, an interruption came from behind.

Drake's voice brimmed with urgency, his eyes scanning the northern horizon for any sign of the approaching Scavenging Fleets. "Time is running out. Are you going to join us or not?"

Before Serena or Aaron could respond, an interruption came from behind, a loud voice echoing through the air. "Captain! Scavenging Fleets are approaching from the north!"

Drake's eyes quickly shifted to the northern direction, and he muttered under his breath, realizing the gravity of the situation. "Damn it..."

Seeing Serena's puzzled expression, Hen stepped forward, explaining, "After the attack, they send more humanoids and small robots to collect resources and valuables. That's why we call them scavengers."

Serena's uncertainty was evident as she glanced back and forth between Aaron and Drake, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts. Before she could voice her concerns, Aaron's resolute tone cut through the tension. "No, we're good."

Though puzzled, Serena decided to trust Aaron's judgment and remained silent, knowing that they couldn't afford any further delay.

Drake's eyes remained fixed on the north as he spoke without turning towards Aaron and Serena. "Farewell, then."

With those words, he swiftly dashed off with the burly Hen by his side. Serena turned to Aaron, seeking answers. "Why did you decide that? And what do we do now?"

Clara, floated above Aaron's shoulder like a fairy, chiming in. "That was indeed a wise decision. We don't know their true intentions."

Serena shook her head, her attention drawn to the north. "What do we do now?" she questioned.

Aaron looked at Clara, realizing their precarious situation. "We need to get out of here. I've detected a medium-sized fleet taking off in the south, while two large fleets are heading towards us from the north." Clara responded.

Serena turned her gaze towards Clara and spoke urgently, "We need to come up with something, like where will we go or some kind of plan,"

Serena urgently turned her gaze towards Clara "Clara, can you figure out a way for us to leave the city unnoticed by those machines?" Serena asked, her voice filled with determination as she sought a solution to their predicament.

Clara closed her eyes and ceased hovering around Aaron's shoulder, settling on his shoulder instead.

Aaron looked at Clara, waiting for her response. "She's analyzing, I suppose," he said.

Serena remained cautious, glancing around their surroundings, and then turned her attention on Aaron, "Aaron, you're acting weirdly," she observed.

Confusion flashed across Aaron's face as he responded, "What do you mean?" Serena winced in pain, moving closer to him. "You don't seem confused at all," she said through clenched teeth.

Aaron noticed her injured shoulder and instinctively placed his hand over it. "Hmm, I don't know. I feel confused one second, and then the next, I'm calm. I... don't know how to explain it." He furrowed his brow, trying to make sense of his own emotions.

Serena's eyes darted around, and suddenly, realization struck her. "Maybe Clara is controlling your emotions—" Before she could finish her sentence, Clara flew right in front of her face, startling her.

"I found the way!!" Clara declared, interrupting the conversation. Serena exclaimed, "Whoa, what the hell!" startled by her coming in front of her face.

Eager to hear the plan, Serena urged Clara to share the details. Clara turned around, and a map materialized in front of them. Serena recognized it as the city map. "Yeah, indeed," she confirmed.

Aaron leaned in closer, and they both saw that the map had transformed into a visual model of the city. Two small characters were displayed in the lower southern corner, indicating their location. Further south, fleets were depicted moving off the map, while in the far north, two fleet icons steadily closed in, showing a distance of 2 kilometers.

Serena looked at the small characters on the map and asked, her voice still weak, "Are... these small characters me and Aaron?" Clara nodded in response.

"Yes, those represent you both. The fleet that just left the map was Drake's, and the two fleets in the north are the machines. They are now only 1.6 kilometers away. We have to hurry."

Serena's brows furrowed in concern. "Oh God! thank you, Clara. We wouldn't have known that we have to hurry if it weren't for you!"

Clara tilted her head and smiled. "You're welcome, Serena."

Serena, still annoyed, looked away, still leaning on Aaron. He urged Clara, "Tell us the route and lead the way."

Clara chimed in, "Sure."

She zoomed in on the eastern corner of the map and began hovering towards the east.

Aaron and Serena followed Clara, but Serena struggled due to her injuries.

She moaned in pain, and Aaron quickly scooped her up into his arms.

Serena's face turned red as she protested, "OOOOOH! You don't have to do this!!"

Ignoring her protests, Aaron asked Clara, "Where are we heading?"

Clara continued leading the way while responding, "Just 200 meters away, there's an underground route that will take us straight to the east, which is only 14 kilometers from here."

Serena interjected, exclaiming, "Just 14 kilometers?" Clara brushed off her concerns and stated, "We have to hurry. It'll take approximately 5 minutes for the fleet to reach us."

Serena couldn't believe it and exclaimed, "And how long will it take us?"

Clara replied, "Around 10 minutes, considering the potential collisions with buildings and unknown obstacles we may encounter."

Serena screamed in frustration, "Whaat?!"

while running from one alley to another what they saw was just destruction and no sign of life Aaron's face covered in sweat due to the surrounding heat and the fires raging around them, struggled to breathe in the dusty, scorching air.

Meanwhile, Serena's sweat was not only due to the intense heat but also because of her injuries. Her breathing was irregular, causing Aaron great concern.

Serena struggled to catch her breath as she surveyed the devastating scene surrounding them—the broken bricks, shattered remnants of once-living beings. Her heart raced in her chest, pounding against her ribs. In her desperation, she clenched her eyes shut, seeking solace amidst the chaos.

Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed Aaron's shirt, her fingers brushing against something cold and metallic on his chest. With curiosity and trepidation, she explored further, round disk-shaped thing on Aaron's chest.

Aaron, still running, spoke without missing a beat. "It's my artificial heart I guess," he explained, his voice intertwined with the rhythmic pounding of their footsteps.

Serena, caught off guard by his awareness of her touch, quickly withdrew her hand, feeling a rush of embarrassment flood her cheeks.

She mustered the courage to glance at his face, taking in the captivating combination of his sparkling blue eyes, chiseled jawline, and dark blue hair. Yet, in the midst of his striking appearance, one thing seemed absent—an enigmatic smile, a glistening tear, or a flicker of raw emotion.

Lost in her own thoughts, Serena closed her eyes, leaning on his chest, allowing herself a momentary escape from the grim reality that surrounded them.