Fades into Dusk 1

A morning like any other. A morning where the wet, dirty smell rises to the surface. Once again, the smell of dirty and withering wood is unbearable. The smell of dirt being moved and softened by ruthless movement, as dust rises. "We should get going."

The feeling of foreboding grows by the second, like a persistent cancerous growth. A dark crawling feeling right below the ground, lurking like a beast in the shadows. They still have time until K.J… but it doesn't bode well for them to continue to wait.

Even without the "lingering problem", people still will be put into groups and taken off to "safe places" and other bases. This one had reached its maximum capacity already. It will start today. To use this to get out of there while they still can do without any hindrances.

Leaving K.J behind, before he truly kicks the bucket, will suck, but it can't be helped… he will understand, won't he? "I don't think he is going to resent us… but I don't think he won't be a little hurt either."

Taking into account "Lily", the chances are that Kyrie will understand their point. 

"We shouldn't be due until the sunrise, Cain." James unexpectedly asks, rising from the lower bed, while Spencer sleeps soundly. For all accounts, there was no reason for the redhead to stay up. 

Unless it is lack of sleep. "Couldn't sleep?" With a nod, the question is answered. Guess not all of them managed to catch sleep. Spencer's ease of sleep is truly envious. "That smell of wood made it hard to sleep, and you?"

"I couldn't catch a good sleep in the last few nights." Sorrow and regret overflow in the words, almost like a dam nearing its breaking point. The reason is more than clear: Kyrie. It will be hard to go on… more so to take care of the brat he cares about.

"Let's not talk about this, we will have a busy day. We will have to take Lily with us out there, and go see K.J one last time." Unexpectedly, Spencer raises his voice, being wide awake. They all couldn't sleep.

They are three… they could share the responsibilities. "Since we are all awake… let's divide our duties. We will need meds, I will take those with my "contact". Don't think it will be too hard for me." Amelia has been cooperative since their "first" proper meeting.

The others seem to think about what they should do. "I will go get Lily. Cain, can you see if you can get resources too? MRE, food… our bags back." Then Spencer made his choice. 

Leaving only James, who seems contemplative. "I will go… say goodbye to Kyrie first… then I will see what I can do." Fair, given their circumstances. Their day will be hard. Life truly strikes back in the worst ways possible.

Closing his eyes, Cain tries to get a little sleep. Life won't get easier, whatever the smell of the forest is. Whatever rest to have before things become worse will be a blessing in disguise. 

The others should sleep too. Who knows what may await them today?

(...)

The midday sun shines up high, its rays making it hard to see the path ahead of a night of bad sleep. "Should've got a bit of sleep…" Now it is too late to catch a nap. They have things to do, and he in particular has to get Lily.

Luckily, the blonde girl is there, carrying a small backpack. "I already got my things, Mister Spencer. I'm ready to go." That girl manages to be frighteningly aware of her surroundings and circumstances.

How did she know he was coming for her? He had no clue, but she still did and planned. It is something all kids do on instinct, Or is it something unique to her and a supernatural power?

That sixth sense of hers brings more questions to the table. With time, they could maybe understand how she manages to get on point gut feeling, or maybe not, but it would be a useful thing to learn.

"Say, mister. Where will we go next?" A good question. Since they are together, going to meet K.J would make sense. Is James done with him already? Maybe they can meet each other there. 

Seeing K.J for the last time… doesn't sound that bad. "Let's go meet K.J. He will appreciate our company." With an exasperated sigh, she looks down. An understandable feeling… "I'm an adult. I have to soldier on."

There will still be many losses down the road… if he fails at this one, how could he manage to meet his mother again? If she is— No, she surely survived. No way a mere apocalypse would keep her down. 

The base still looks as crowded as ever, however, people are being organized. Being taken inside buses and trucks. "What is happening there?" Are they getting out or something? Did he lose the memo?

"We are organizing people to send them to other cities or bigger bases. We are getting overloaded." Spencer's shoulder tensed as someone spoke suddenly from behind him. Turning back, it is Mary.

"So this is why Cain wants us to get away today… catch a ride out. There is no way he didn't know it already." She, Cain, K.J, and Anthony must've worked together, right? It makes sense for them to know about this type of stuff. "Aren't you moving out with them? Though, soldiers have priority over this type of thing."

The brunette scowls. "We have our duties. We will stay there and do them. Only cowards run away in the face of duty, know that. I am no coward." Some people take their jobs seriously, but she does take her duty as a soldier with diligence. Good to see that not all of them are selfish assholes. 

"Good. We will be seeing—" Out of nowhere, the alarms flare. This startled everyone, Mary tensing up and running towards other soldiers, while people stood confused. "Lily, get close!" Pushing the Little girl towards himself, Spencer picks her up in his arms.

The ground rumbles and shakes, making all buildings around them tremble. Like an earthquake, the floor starts to flow and break apart, as the rumbles grow like the stomach of a hungry beast.

Buildings are starting to break apart, some segments of them falling off. Cars moving on their own, following the earthquake. Something is occurring. Worse than before. The ground below his feet started to become malleable, a feeling of something worming its way from underground to the surface.

From the vibrations of the ground, something is making its way up there. Looking at Mary, she is just a few meters away, still reachable with a short sprint. "Shit!" Without an option, Spencer starts to run towards Mary, at full sprint.

Sensing the turbulence, Lily holds him close, holding him as tight as possible. In a few seconds, he reaches Mary, the ground behind them starting to give away into craters and sinkholes. Like a fire to gunpowder, a mass hysteria breaks out, people screaming and running for their lives toward the buses and trucks, almost overwhelming the soldiers in doing so.

What happened in the city is happening again, but somehow worse! Looking back, something breaks off the ground. Not a goblin or a goblin-like monster, no. Those things are different.

A decaying and spectral aura, ruined armor adorning their bodies, human-shaped. For all accounts, their appearance is like one of a normal human, but decayed— "Undeads!" Someone screamed.

Looking ahead, the metalhead takes a deep breath, sprinting faster to outrun both the sinkholes and the monsters appearing out of the ground. "I need a place to leave Lily and use my powers. The buses! They will be the safest area to defend!" 

People will naturally flood that area, the soldiers will defend that part due to being evacuation vehicles. If anything, the other people can be used as meat shields, while he attacks the monsters from afar using lightning.

In just moments, he had reached the soldiers already. Channeling electricity towards his legs, Spencer jumps making a small electric explosion below his feet, propelling him forward in a leap.

Going over the soldiers, leaping all the way to the bus' top. "Lily, get on the ceiling and lay down there, okay? I have a plan!" Putting her down, she does what she is told to without even questioning. "Good girl. Now is the time for me to put an order here."

The bus shakes due to the earthquake, but not enough to be a problem for him. Looking down, Lily is not close to falling off the bus top. Raising his hand, a mass of electricity forms itself, mirroring the first time he used his powers. "Eat that, monsters!

Out of the ground, roots start to break free, aiming towards the monsters appearing. "KERAUNOS SPEAR!" Like a judgment, a mass of energy in a thunder-like shape flies toward the undead. The "spear" splits itself in multiple branches like lightning, hitting straight into the chest of the armored undead, burning through their chest, incinerating the area wound the first landing, putting them once again down to the earth.

"Listen here! Keep calm! I have the power to keep those fuckers down! Start to calm yourselves, or I will fucking put a lightning bolt up in your heads, understood!?" Like a cold water bath, people calm down after seeing the lightning bolt.

"Let the soldiers evacuate everyone properly, I will strike down any of these monsters that dare to rise. Now, do things orderly! We can't lose time!" The ground continues to shake, becoming more violent with each second.

From the sinkholes, immense tree roots appear, sprouting smaller trees the moment they make contact with the sunlight, starting to become a small-scale forest on their own. In their wake, more undead started to appear, this time accompanied by spectral wolves and crows.

Things won't be easy. "Okay… you guys should know Konrad, a brunette with electric powers, get him here, RIGHT NOW! We don't have any time to spare here!" To prove a point. He channels another wave of energy in his hands.

Those things will be put down. Roots threaten to appear near the buses. "I will cut them before they can grow…" Channeling more energy, Spencer shoots another wave of energy at a close root, piercing through the ground. Smoke rising from the hole made by attack, as the ground movements ceased there. 

"It will be too much for me. Hope the others get here fast!" Cain and K.J's fire powers would come in hand right now… Alas, the monsters start to roar in a language he doesn't understand, rushing toward the civilian masses.

"Open fire!" Some Humvees appear, making the best attempt at a blockade possible with the dangerous and damaged terrain, from their top, soldiers on machine gun turrets deplete their ammunition against the beasts, while other soldiers come to reinforce their defenses.

"Good job. Want to help us?" Calls a familiar voice. Looking down, Anthony is there, with a very good poker face. In any other situation, Spencer would refuse, but right now, there is no such option.

"I don't have much of a choice here. Can we keep this line without Konrad and the others?" Loading another wave of energy, the monsters being shot are merely slowed down, not killed by the mundane weapons.

"Dunno, Konrad probably is defending the other rear, your friend Cain I dunno. We shall hold this place with the best we can. Thanks for giving the wake-up call to the civilians. Every second counts."

The civilians are still alarmed and scared, but not trying to do anything funny due to the threat of being struck down by lightning. Shit has hit the fan and hit it with overwhelming force. Looking down, Lily is there, behind him, lying down and trying her best to not be moved by the shaking bus.

"Okay… Let's see how many spears I can throw! KERAUNOS!"