At night, Super City 19 still burned bright. Neon signs lit up the tall metal towers, making the whole place feel like a giant party. But just a few dozen kilometers away, the quarantine zone sat in deep darkness. No lights. No movement. Like the world had forgotten it even existed.
Near the edge of the forest, the quiet night felt strange and tense. Two figures stood still, facing each other. It was like time had stopped. A soft breeze rustled the bushes, but even that small sound couldn't cut through the heavy air, filled with the smell of smoke and wet dirt.
Mavrick's forehead was slick with sweat—not the cool kind heroes have in movies, but the cold, awful kind you get after running from a lab nightmare only to land on something worse. His legs shook like wood planks carved from pure regret.(ref The city in the shadows-Nightmare at Dawn 2 )
He took a sharp breath, trying to steady himself. Then he leaned toward Dr. Chan, each word feeling like a weight on his chest.
"Don't panic... but there's a landmine under my foot."
Dr. Chan jerked back, breath caught in his throat."What? That's a joke, right?" His voice got louder. Too loud.
Mavrick didn't move. The forest felt too quiet, too alert, like it was listening.
"Not a joke," he said softly."I heard the click. Pressure plate. Likely dual-trigger. One wrong move, and this place paints itself red."
Dr. Chan pushed his glasses up, eyes scanning Mavrick's face. No joke. No doubt. Just cold truth. His stomach turned.
He opened his mouth to say something—then froze.
A new voice cut through the air behind them.
Calm.
Cold.
Deadly.
"He's right. It's a Bonecracker."
They turned. A young man stepped out of the trees like a ghost—light on his feet, death in his eyes.
"Model BX-9," he said."Fresh from Shield Corp. Dual trigger. Pressure and magnetic. And when it goes off—it jumps. Chest level. Boom. Sprays metal like a blender full of nails. Clean. Fast. Bloody."
The young man—Earl—paused to lick his lips, like remembering something fun.
"If you're lucky, you'll just lose a leg and hop home like a drunk bunny in traffic."
Dr. Chan stepped back, and Earl's gun followed, slow but clear. That small movement said more than any words.
Mavrick, still trying to keep from screaming, asked,"Who are you?"
The stranger tilted his head, eyes shining with something close to amusement.
"Shouldn't I ask you that? Are you soldiers?"
Dr. Chan, all nerves and panic, stammered,"W-we're just lost! We didn't mean—"
"Lost volunteers?" Earl scoffed, like the idea was a bad joke."And you just happen to know about landmines? Yeah, right."
Mavrick winced, spotting the VOLUNTEER badge still pinned to their shirts—bright, obvious, and bad news.
"Believe it or not," he said, trying to stay calm,"we're not military. Just into mechanics. It's a hobby. We're harmless."
He looked Earl over. The gear. The traps. The way he talked. This wasn't just some random gunman. He was connected. Maybe security. Maybe worse.
Earl took a step closer, gun aimed at Chan's face. Smooth. Confident.
"You escaped from the lab, didn't you?" he asked like it was casual conversation.
Mavrick sighed."Yes. We didn't know they were using live people—we swear."
Earl's smile faded into something darker."Oh? And now you know?"
Mavrick's heart sank. Earl knew. Of course he did.
"We're just new volunteers..."
Earl's eyes went cold."Don't care. You're mine now. I just need to decide…"
He let the words hang in the air, like a blade.
Silence fell again. And the Bonecracker waited, still and deadly, under Mavrick's foot.
These people weren't just killers. They were working together. But why? Were they helping the lab catch escapees? Paid hunters? Or maybe... it was all just a game to them. Like some twisted sport for rich people.
Mavrick looked at Earl again. Young—barely out of school. Still had a boy's face, but his eyes were wrong. Excited, like this was fun.
Mavrick liked to think he was calm under pressure. He'd faced danger before. Even laughed at it. But now? His legs shook. Not from fear. From anger.
Quiet, steady anger. Like a fuse waiting to burn.
He kept his voice flat, eyes on Earl.
He glanced at the man's gear. The suit was sleek, black, and built for speed. No way it was store-bought.
"Sable Mk," Mavrick said softly."Shield Corp light exo-suit. Yours custom?"
Earl's eyebrows went up."Mk II," he said with a grin."Prototype. You've got a sharp eye."
"Not many people get one of those," Mavrick said."Unless they've got deep pockets or good connections."
Earl chuckled."Guilty."
"And that rifle?" Mavrick nodded at the gun."Looks like a Forrest M70. Smart tech. Recoil control grip. Not cheap."
"Man," Earl said, clearly enjoying himself,"you really know your stuff."
"Just a hobby," Mavrick replied."This whole thing, right? Just a game."
Earl's smile twisted into something darker."Maybe. Or maybe this is the only place I feel real."
The words hung heavy. Mavrick didn't react. He couldn't.
The mine was still there. Still waiting.
"Name?" Earl asked, calm but watching closely.
"Mavrick," he said."Mavrick Less. And I'm a pretty nice guy when I'm not being hunted."
Earl laughed."Mavrick Less. Sounds like a guy who reads too much and dies early in the story."
"That's me."
"Well then," Earl said,"you live."
His eyes moved to Dr. Chan. A smirk played on his lips. But there was something strange too—like he was hearing something only he could hear.
"But he doesn't."
"Wait—" Mavrick stepped forward fast. His voice was calm, but firm."Why? What's the point?"
Earl shrugged."You're dead anyway. No harm in telling you." He tilted his head again. Nodded, like someone whispered in his ear.
"I get a point for every kill. Hit ten, I win."
Dr. Chan's face went pale."Points? What is this, a game? We're real people!"
"Spare you?" Earl laughed coldly. He looked into the dark, speaking like to someone else."You think I have a choice?"
"You're killing for rewards," Chan shouted."For fun. And you think that's okay?"
Something shifted in Earl. His hands shook as he grabbed his wrist tight. He muttered fast, words too low to understand.
Then he yelled—like trying to block out a voice only he could hear.
"You think you get to judge me? You're all the same. Rabbits, foxes... Run, die. That's the game."
He went quiet again. Eyes empty. Like nothing had happened.
Mavrick took a slow breath. He wasn't dying here. Not yet. Not before he found out what happened to his father. That's why he came.
He didn't choose this. But now he was in it.
And sometimes, fate doesn't ask.
Sometimes it just throws you into the dark... and dares you to survive.