Breakfast is served.

The sun was rising over the jagged horizon, what once was tall sparkling towers of a southern metropolitan city, have become pale, broken and in disrepair. Rich green vines now wrap around these old accomplishments of man as if pulling them back into the Earth. Animals that just 5 years ago, didn't exist are now on the verge of taking over the surface of what was once called the Earth. Strange predatory winged creatures not quite bird, not quite mammal; with large serrated black beaks mounted in powerful muscular jaws. Predatory feet with long daggers tucked neatly underneath itself waiting to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting creature its sharp eyes as large as tea plates desperately scans the area as it quickly and silently cruise the morning skies hungrily looking for its morning prey. The howls and growls of different animals in the area echo on the broken infrastructure of the dead city. A translucent web that that covers the opening of a tunnel violently thrashes bounces back and forth as a large buck with huge antlers that slightly luminescent with a faint trace of green, fights in vain to escape its grip as a impossible huge spider as big as a large minivan scramble from the dark tunnel to quickly deliver its venom into the ensnared creature as it bellowed.

Jason saw the grisly scene, as the huge creature scurried back into the tunnel waiting for its venom to take effect and slow the animal down. Jason could see its 10 eyes reflecting the light from the darkness of its silky home as it waited for its deadly venom to take effect. In that moment he saw its eyes quickly shift towards his direction. Its eyes were cold and unnerving, as a monster ripped from any child's worst nightmare. It watched him with only an instinctual interest, Jason could feel its cold glare linger as he hurriedly picked up his pace to get past its opening. He felt bad for the "Neon buck" as they called them, the struggling creature continued to thrash about in vain, he knew the only thing he could do for it was to put a bullet into its head before the horror emerges from its tunnel to continue to wrap it up then slowly drag it back into its dark crypt to be hung like a slab of living meat in a butcher freezer, still living and every so slowly getting its fluids pulled out bit by bit. Until there was nothing left but an empty husk. Jason turned his head forward and tried to push the thoughts out of his mind has he quickly caught up with the others. He didn't realize he the salty tears that streaked down his dirty face until he tasted it, then quickly wiped them away with his sleeve before anyone could notice. Even though his heart reached out to the animal he knew he couldn't show any weakness. He was so scared. Everything about this New World scared the hell out of him. It's either the constant fight for survival and supremacy amongst Dens, or it was the constant close calls with these beasts. Beyond all of this was the absolute end that was due to them all. An ending no one no matter how strong, how savage or how smart one was there has been no escape... He would have to pray for a colder heart if he wanted to survive in this new reality. He also knew that if he didn't keep up with the rest something worse than that spider can grab him and drag him off into the darkness. Jason took a deep breath and slowed down his pace from the other 9 kids that was in his group, his job was to support the rear of the group. He had stopped right past the webbed tunnel and flipped his safety to the firing position. He could still hear the screams of the weakening animal... The rest of the kids had stopped and turned to look. They had seen exactly what Jason did but most of them were even more afraid than Jason. "Careful." said a calm voice over his shoulder. "Do what you feel is right." The voice continued," make sure you also do what's right for the whole." The voice finished and Jason could feel the pressure of a hand on his shoulder. Scott could feel that Jason was upset his breathing was getting faster. His concern grew even higher when he saw Jason switch his safety off and his finger had moved into the firing position. "Hey Jason…" Scott said his voice still calm and reassuring. "I understand what you're feeling, it ain't right." He paused for a second standing closer to Jason both watching the animal breathing start to get ragged and desperate, its antlers glow started to fade like a shade covering a lamp. Like its life-force it was starting to fade. Not totally snuffed out but fading away like the end of song. "You know we are in a very dangerous area right now" Scott started to explain to the younger boy. "If you put that Neon out of its misery what will it change? Either way it's dead…but if you shoot, your gun will draw whatever is close out upon us." Now Scott gently put some pressure on his shoulder and he could feel the boy stiffen up. "The plan was for us to take this short cut to get to the best hunting ground faster. We all agreed there would be no shooting…any loud weapons or noise." Scott watched Jason trigger finger which was not in the safety position any more Jason had eased into the trigger guard area. 'Damnit' Scott thought 'He's gonna make me do it.' Unbeknown to Jason while Scott was talking to him Scott had been drawing out his Kobun blade from its sheath. He gripped with the confidence of an assassin. Scott took a deep breath that could hardly have been noticed by anyone. 'One more chance' Scott thought his thoughts were racing as he silently had come to terms of what may have to come next… "Turn around and look at your team mates" he said with more of a tone to his voice now." If you do this you jeopardize each and every last one us. You got to let it go Jason." Jason slowly looked over his shoulder and saw the kids all staring at them. Like little manikins frozen in time. Then spider began to emerge again, feeling the web the erratic bouncing slowdown from before, its venom has taken its toll on its creature. It slowly began to expose its self to the world again. A giant smooth black arachnid leg surfaced from the darkness as another followed. Jason gun started to tremble at the sight. It was huge a true nightmare made into reality, each move was sure and measured. Its eyes still locked on Jason as it continued to come out of its silky domain, fangs dripping with a dribble of clear fluid. Scott took a deep breath and dug the knife deep into the neck of Jason just as he lifted his rifle to make the shot on the doomed beast. Jason tried to turn at Scott wide eyed as his crimson life fluid spurted from his neck. Jason hesitated and didn't sever his spine so Jason thrashed about and he was able to squeeze the trigger. The sound vibrated through the area the spider quickly recoiled in the tunnel, for a moment the kids who weapons was now drawn and wide eyed thought that they may have been safe. Jason quickly made a signal as he released Jason still thrashing but becoming weaker by the moment he fell to his knees and without hesitation the rest of the kids quickly and in order dispersed. The huge spider erupted from the darkness past its prey as it took the sound as a treat to its home of threads. It hit the ground with a sickening thud; the creature did a 360 spin trying to find any threats then stopped on a dime as it saw Jason on his knees. He was desperately using his hands to stop the bleeding but the blood kept seeping from between his weakening fingers, Gasping, and struggling for each breath he noticed the heat of the sun is blocked, he slowly looks up to see ten small reflections of himself, some bigger than others but all was pale looking and trying to slow down the bleeding. The next thing he felt was the heavy thud of the massive creature and the two pricks as its fangs punctured his body and felt the warm sticky web swaddle him like a new born. He felt the sensation of being spinned as the webs wrapped around him tighter and tighter but not enough to take his breath away. He could feel the powerful venom spread throughout his body as everything started to go numb then the sickening drag as he was being pulled into its web. The rest of the team watched in silence as the massive arachnid hung Jason with the care of a loving mother would to hang an ornament on a Christmas tree for her baby's first Christmas... Scott wanted them to see, wanted them to see the price that is to be paid for not following the rules. The stupidity of following your emotions will get you killed or even worse as they stood in silence. He looked over his squad silently as he made a different hand gesture and they filed out in a disciplined and tight formation. Scott stood watching his troop move on; he also watched the newly hung cocoon that was once Jason. He noticed a couple of slight wiggles as a growing patch of crimson slightly spread, Scott figured that the damage he did was still bleeding and a slight chill ran down his spine as he cursed Jason for making him do that. He hated himself for being forced to leave him. Next time he will finish what he started he noticed he still held the knife tightly in his hand. He sighed as he took out a towel he carried then cleaned and sheathed his blade. As the last kid past him, he turned and followed. Scott was still just old enough to remember the world before this nightmare begun. When a kid was cared for by adults, when there was no worries other than what's for dinner. Now in this new world the worry about being somethings dinner was very real indeed.