Desperate Measures
Four hours, twenty-eight minutes, and nine seconds after the Apocalypse.
Boom! Kaboom!
The sound of endless explosions of guns and grenades could be heard in the ruins of what remained of the city of Ventaris.
Destruction.
The skyscrapers that seemingly defied the sky with their existences had all burned down, while the air was filled with an increasingly dense smell of gunpowder and the repulsive smell of corpses. Humans and monsters alike were being stepped on and crushed by thousands of Insectoids that kept coming from all directions.
Giant spider-like monsters were moving across the wrecked road filled with the debris of countless vehicles at an extremely fast pace with their long, sharp legs.
Meanwhile, the last survivors stood their ground at Times Square and barricaded themselves behind rows of broken-down cars they had painstakingly set up. Anxiety and fear were clearly plastered on their faces.
The number of horrifying monsters was simply too much, it was clearly not a fair comparison.
"Kill those fucking bugs!"
Heavy machine guns, high caliber sniper rifles, flamethrowers; every kind of firearm the survivors could get their hands on was fired at the incoming monsters that were charging at them with unmatched bloodthirst.
The blood rain stopped some hours ago after bathing the city in its crimson colour. The sky looked as if it was burning up.
His Dad was busy fighting the remaining Insectoid hordes that had somehow managed to break through the apartment.
With all these technologies, and yet these beasts slaughtered mankind like sheep.
Humanity was hopeless. And there are no two ways about it.
"Damn! We gotta make a way outta here! We gotta escape this hell hole before we all die!" his father yelled over to him.
"We ain't gonna last much longer! They'll kill us all eventually if they don't find something better to do now!" he said as he reloaded his rifle. He quickly pulled the trigger again and sent a bullet flying straight into a massive swarm of Insectoid creatures that were rushing towards him like sharks smelling blood.
"Son! We gotta get movin', let's go! Run!"
Magnus was running alongside his dad in one of the smaller alleys located secretly inside the apartment that connected to an underground passage.
They were trying to take advantage of the confusion and chaos to leave the place and hide somewhere far away from the danger zone and the Insectoid horde.
After running out of the underground passage, they walked some meters toward the direction of the light rays that illuminated some parts of the pathway.
The next thing they knew, they were already standing on a street. The street they were standing on was littered with piles of rubble. Cars and other vehicles crashed against each other, and the pavement itself was covered in a thick layer of dust, which had caused several small cracks to form in the once smooth road surface. Magnus felt sickened seeing how easily the carriages could be overturned like toys.
A giant beetle suddenly smashed itself right next to them, its huge head barely hanging from the rest of its body.
There was blood gushing from both of the insectoid's nostrils and mandibles. It was dead.
Magnus' Father held his son by his hands, placing his rifle to the side. A huge cloud of dust covered the area more, causing the young men to cough uncontrollably.
While trying to navigate through the foggy atmosphere, they walked for half a mile till they got to the city's Bridge where the atmosphere was clear before their haggard breathing started to return to normal.
The bridge itself was completely destroyed, its supports having disappeared, leaving only a single concrete support structure supporting a wide span between a large chunk of the building.
They both sought shelter at the back of the structure. The entire area seemed to be deserted, there weren't even any people around, just an eerie silence. They tried to stay hidden as well as possible under a pile of stone and cement, hoping that the Insectoids' attention wouldn't be attracted to their hiding spot.
When their eyesight adjusted to the new surroundings they found that they were actually able to hear the sounds of the surrounding battle happening.
Even though their ears couldn't hear anything at first, they soon noticed the sounds of a distant fight. The faint sounds of guns firing echoed within the empty space.
It was almost like a massacre. People screaming, bullets zinging, metal screeching... the sounds of death rang out throughout this area as loud cries reached their ears. Had they not escaped and taken refuge in the secret passage, they would have been killed by the Insectoid horde.
He didn't know how long they hid there, but eventually, the sounds of the battle died down. The Insectoid horde had apparently given up on the area and moved on to another location.
They looked at each other, the worry on their faces mirrored on their faces. Both of them had never seen such carnage in their whole lives; they knew that the human race would definitely perish unless someone did something.
Something to change this senseless catastrophe. Someone who can help them survive.
"Shouldn't we try to help?" Magnus asked his father.
"No, son. We can't do anything. We're just civilians. We'll be killed if we try to interfere." His father replied. "Besides, I don't have enough bullets in my rifle. So it is futile."
They both stayed silent for a few minutes before Magnus spoke again. "But what are... "
"Sshhh" his father hushed him, putting a finger on his lips to stop any further words.
"Listen!" he said again. After getting no response, his father looked at him and signalled Magnus to lie flat.
His father carefully took out his rifle that he placed on his right arm and repositioned the weapon to the left.
Before the giant spider could make its silly advance on them, his father lifted his gun.
Bang! Bang! The bullets hit the huge bug, hitting its vulnerable joints and making it stagger. But it recovered swiftly.
BAM! BAM! BANG! Again. The gunshots made a deafening noise echoing in their minds.
The sounds of guns however attracted more of these creatures towards them. More of them rushed at them from every angle and Magnus couldn't hold himself still. He wanted to do something, something!
His father seemed to notice what Magnus was feeling, and pulled out an A4567 laser pistol from his back pocket and handed it to him.
"It's time you defend yourself, son," he said as calmly as ever. "I'm sorry I had to teach you so late."
Magnus hesitated at first and then finally accepted the pistol.
"Okay."
This was the best time for them. He knew how lethal the gun was when he fired its bullets without hesitation.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! Each bullet flew like a meteor shower through the air to pierce through the insects.
"BURN IN THE INFERNAL FLAMES OF HELL!! !"
He yelled, pulling the trigger with every muscle in his body, aiming straight at the largest Insectoid horde.
The bullets struck it with precision and ferocity; the Insectoid horde instantly fell victim to the barrage of shots, falling to their deaths.
And it took him a second to realize what he had done.
"Oh crap..." he muttered.
"You're doing great, son. Keep going!" His father encouraged him.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Another Insectoid horde fell to the ground.
"Keep shooting!"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
More Insectoid hordes fell to the ground.
"I can't keep doing this..."
"Keep going!" his father shouted again.
"But there are so many of them!" He complained, tears brimming in his eyes.
"That doesn't matter anymore; just keep using the same method," his father comforted him. "Don't be scared son, they've fallen. just keep firing these m*therf*kers his father urged him.
They continued to fire relentlessly as if their lives depended on it. More hordes of Insectoid corpses dropped to the ground. Soon their ammunition was emptied and their rifles useless.
"What do we do now? Magnus asked, looking helplessly at his father.
"Run!
The insectoids pursued them relentlessly, the sound of their heavy footsteps shaking the earth beneath their feet. The two men stumbled over each other, their bodies bruised with numerous wounds. Their clothes were completely soaked with sweat and their skin felt like it was on fire due to the heat generated by the intense battles they'd been engaging in.
As they ran, they failed to notice the danger ahead of them.
Above the railings of the bridge that stood high above their heads sat a huge spider that lay motionless, waiting for its prey.
The Insectoid jumped out of the crowd of dead corpses and charged at Magnus and his father. Before either of them knew it, the insectoid had tackled his father to the ground and pinned him.
The creature raised both of its huge arms high above the ground, ready to deliver the fatal blow. Its eyes were filled with anger and thirst.
Just at that moment, something unexpected happened.