Faraway
Table of Contents
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 Chapter 80 Chapter 81 Chapter 82 Chapter 83 Chapter 84 Chapter 85 Chapter 86 Chapter 87 Chapter 88 Chapter 89 Chapter 90 Chapter 91Chapter 53
Stumbling outside of the forest, they came across a ruined city just three kilometers away from the hill they are currently on, its buildings crumbling and overgrown with vines, a testament to the passage of time. The sky above was a sickly shade of yellow, casting a gloomy atmosphere over the desolate landscape.
A sight that tells the tale of a civilization long since fallen and the place they are about to enter is a stark reminder of the devastating effects of the apocalypse that wiped out nearly all of humanity and animals alike.
"Welcome to the ruins of civilization," Hansel said dryly, tinged with a hint of irony. "Quite a sight, isn't it?"
Standing beside him, Danny could only empress level of horror in what he was witnessing, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and disbelief from where they stood, "this...this is what happened to the world?" He whispered, his voice barely audible over the wind rustling through the broken structures.
"How could something so beautiful become like...this?" His question hung in the air, unanswered, as he stared out at the devastation before him. The once-thriving metropolis is also a graveyard of concrete and steel, a monument to the once glorious height during man's reign on earth.
Catching wind on this, Hansel understood the depth of Danny's emotional response: "It's a tragedy; there's no doubt about it," he agreed solemnly, "but I suppose it's inevitable when you consider the scale of destruction that occurred," he added, his tone somber, "the world was never going to be the same after such a terrific disaster," sighing deeply, "we're just lucky to be alive, aren't we?" Reflecting the sorrow of a lost era where life was ordinary, despite the fact that they were global issues in a once-thriving society.
Such a shame for it to end like this but supposedly its better for the world to end like this as Hansel would imagined, the other likely or possible chance of what will end humanity and the world at large is far worse in what it could bring.
"Yeah," Danny replied in a sad tone, "but at what cost?" He asked, his gaze drifting over the ruins, "So many lives, so much history... gone." His words trailed off, a heavy silence settling between them as they stood there, taking in the magnitude of the destruction that unfolded before them.
Silence fell over the two as they stood there, absorbing the weight of the ruins that lay before them. The only sounds occupying them are their troubled thoughts and the breezy winds that swept through the landscape, carrying with them the whispers of a forgotten past.
In one step forward, the head doctor began walking forward to resume their search for the radio, forcing Danny to snap out of his thoughts and follow suit. "Stay close to me," he sternly commanded as his friend hesitated for a moment before moving to keep pace with him.
The journey ahead would be treacherous, filled with unknown dangers, but with each other's company, they might just stand a chance of survival in this dying world.
At least, however, Hansel has the means to defend themselves with the use of his Esper powers, which by definition makes him a formidable ally in this harsh environment. With that thought in mind, the two continued their trek through the forest, patiently walking side by side without much conversation going on with each other.
After a while of walking, the two of them reached the ravaged main streets of this once-thriving city, a sight that clearly gives a glimpse of how the world was before the apocalypse. It was bustling with activity, full of people and cars that were zooming around—a place that was teeming with life and energy.
However, that has all changed now; the streets are now littered with debris, abandoned vehicles, and the remnants of a civilization that was destroyed by the apocalyptic event that both had mentioned before.
Danny can't help but look around the city, taking in the sights of the ruins that were once a symbol of human progress and innovation. The buildings that were once towering skyscrapers now lay in ruins, their steel beams twisted and tangled, concrete chunks strewn about like they were nothing more than playthings.
The streets that were once bustling with people are now empty, save for the occasional gust of winds that blows through, carrying with it the whispers of a forgotten past.
Hansel, noticing Danny's distraction, snapped his fingers. "Focus," he reminded him. "We need to keep moving," he added, telling his friend to get back on track. Danny reluctantly nodded, his eyes refocusing on the task at hand.
"Right," he replied, his voice laced with reluctance, "let's find what we are looking for and get home safely," staring straight at his partner's side just to keep himself grounded in reality. Yet, it was not that the young man was staring straight ahead of them, but something entirely different.
"Danny?"
Gulping nervously, he slowly raise his hand with his index finger pointing forward, "Doctor...what is that?" The words spoken out of his mouth were not of curiosity or surprise but of utter fear, visible within the depths of his eyes.
Hansel, following his gaze, noticed the source of his concern and immediately went on high alert from who or rather, what is standing in front of them.
Tall and skeletal cyclops robot with its long arms stretched out in front of it, visibly showing the thing's form in all of its glory. The legs were nearly intertwined together, almost 6 meters tall, with a body covering a skeletal frame that is exposed from the inside and out. Its face held only one circular red eye, glowing with an eerie red light that seemed to pulse with malevolent energy.
By this mere scene alone, it feels as if the two of them landed themselves in a horror movie.
"Don't run," Hansel coldly said, his face completely serious from the way he said that, "and don't panic," his voice calm yet firm, "it will make things worse for the both of us," his sight never leaving the creature's menacing form.
"Stay behind me and do exactly as I say," he instructed, his Esper powers crackling with anticipation, ready to unleash his abilities at any moment. His friend and partner nodded, complying with the doctor's orders as he moved around to stand behind his protester.
Eyes narrowed, he watched as the monster began to twitch violently from the power surging through its red eye, glowing brighter after encountering two lone humans. Before long, it spoke, its voice so unfeeling and mechanical.
"Life form detected... engaging protocols," stating in devoid of emotion or inflection, "Espers in sight, scanning for ionic signatures," it continued, its gaze fixed on Hansel with an unnerving intensity. "Upload almost complete, ready to—" It couldn't finish the sentence when the doctor wasted no time in finishing its process as he charged forward with electricity coursing throughout his body.
Knowing these things, the head doctor shouldn't waste any time letting these monsters have the chance to analyze him to get the upper hand.
"Sorry, but I'm not going to let you scan me again," he gritted out, his eyes flashing with anger and determination. "I've had enough of that already." With a snap of his wrist, he hurled a bolt of electricity at the robot's exposed circuits, the bolt striking its mark with a deafening crack. The monstrosity let out a pained whine, its mechanical body jerking spasmodically.
In near instantaneous move, it fell silent, the red glow of its eye slowly fading until it was nothing more than a dead machine.
Adrenaline coursing through his veins as he turned to around to look at his friend, relief flooding his own features when he saw the young man was still unharmed, "I know you have a lot of questions," he began, his voice ragged from the strain.
Rushing towards him, Danny wiped the sweat off his own brow after stopping in front of him, his hands trembling slightly, "what was that thing?" He stuttered, his voice barely audible over the sound of his own racing heartbeat, "it doesn't even look human to begin with!" Little did he know, the world had gone far beyond the realms of what one could call the impossible; now it was just a walk in the park.
Understanding his concern, Hansel took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down from the tension-filled encounter they just had. "They are called Renegade," he said, answering his question.
"Not a single human knows where they came from, nearly everyone believe they were mass produced by some rogue Angeloid who defected from the Ark for reasons unknown to us," he told before continuing. "Their primary function is to adapt any Esper through the use of numerical calculations, allowing them to develop the necessary powers or abilities to deal with the threat posed by people like me," shuddering involuntarily at the thought of the horrors that could potentially be unleashed if these machines start moving in army.
It is good thing to imagine they are scattered in numbers, rarely seen in groups, and are usually just lone wanderers, making their encounters with humans less worrisome. That still doesn't make the situation any better when they can adapt to any powers thrown by Esper.
"Are there any questions you have for me?" Awaiting a response from him to see if the young man had more questions to ask.
"What do we do now?" Danny anxiously asked, looking around at the desolate city around them with complete concern, "How do we find the radio? Is there a map or something? What if there are more of them?" Looking towards Hansel for guidance, he knows that the doctor would be the best person to answer his questions.
In response, he shook his own head with a smile , "I know where it is, okay?" Easing his troubled friend once more, he continued "we're close, I can feel it," Turning around, confidence filled his very being about finally reaching their destination, only to be suddenly swept away by an extended green vine shaped like a tentacle, violently knocking him off his feet.
Throwing him to the air before more vines suddenly appeared to wrapped themselves around his body, squeezing tightly in an attempt to restrain him.
"Run!" Urging Danny to escape while the monster is still occupied.
Gritting his teeth, blood suddenly spilled out of his orifices in slow and deliberate drips, his own powers struggling against the vines when he tried to channel a burst of electricity around him just to leave the Renegade unharmed due to its adaptability. "Get out of here! Go!" Yelling at the top of your lungs.
The young man could just watch in horror, fear icing in his heart after seeing the doctor's predicament, unable to move a single muscle from the tightening vines wrapping around Hansel's body.
Witnessing the struggle, he felt helpless and guilty at the same time that he should've done something to prevent this from happening. Glancing at the monster, he notices something different. Plants began to start growing all around the robot, having gained the ability to control plants in its entirety.
"Hey stop!" Danny shouted at the thing, hoping to make it stop attacking the doctor. "You want to kill him?" He asked loudly, his voice tinged with anger, stepping forward to face the monster, "I'll give you whatever you want, just let him go!"
He pleaded, his hands raised in surrender, "there's no need for this!" But his pleas went to deaf ears when the robot did not pay him any mind, continuing to strangle the life out of the doctor with its vines, "I said stop!" Increasing his ire, he clenched his fists, a sense of hopelessness rising within him.
He feels so weak, vulnerable and helpless, watching as the doctor is being suffocated by the vines in his very eyes. He didn't know what to do; the world outside was falling apart, and now his friend is being attacked by some sort of mutant plant-controlling robot cyclops.
All he could do is either run away or keep shouting in the air at the hopes this thing is willingly to listen reason. Although he doubt this monster isn't even capable of feeling anything, let alone compassion from how its brutally killing the doctor in slow manner.
"No..." Through the painful struggle of being squeezed to death, Hansel's face became horrified at the sight of an extending vine heading straight behind his unaware friend, "Danny! Behind you!"
Using all his strength left, he warned Danny about the impending danger, trying to buy his friend enough time to react and save himself. But he knew that it might already be too late for him to save his friend anymore, as the vines were slowly but surely cutting off his own air supply.
"I'm sorry, everyone..." Feeling his own life slipping away, he could only think the last moments of caring his patients back in the hospital he had made for them.
Hearing his warning loud and clear, Danny immediately turned around with a horrified look, instinctively shielding himself with just his arms, despite it being a futile effort against the relentless tendril coming his way.
However, instead of piercing straight through him or strangling him like it did to Hansel, Something miraculous happened instead; an icy gust of wind came out of nowhere and swirled around the tendril, freezing it in place. The sound of cracking ice echoed through the ruins as the vine shattered under the pressure.
Following this, another gust of wind shot through Hansel, leaving him unharmed while also shattering the set of vines into icy shards. Surprising everyone except the unfeeling robot, who simply turned its attention toward the new threat, "unable to scan due to previous use," it stated, the red eye pulsating with an even more intense glow, "unknown EMFR signature detected, uploading for further analysis in the database," saying
this, the robot began to study the new adversary, making rapid calculations to analyze the data later.
What came next surprised both men once again when they suddenly heard an incoming empty vehicle heading straight behind the monster's back.
The headlights were still on, and the engine was purring as if someone were driving inside, despite clearly showing that the car was abandoned long ago. Then, without further warning, it speed all the way through the littered streets, hitting straight at the unexpected robot and hitting it with full force. The impact became so great that the robot's legs buckled under the force, causing it to fall hard onto its back after reaching ground floor.
Causing the vehicle to slow down drastically after the robot's demise when its red glowing eye finally went out, the last thing the two of them saw was the car's engine sputtering to a stop, the silence echoing through the streets as the two of them just remained there, in shock.
"What...just happened?" Danny asked, his eyes wide with disbelief and wonder at the turn of events that just transpired.
Slowly getting up from his own feet, the head doctor doesn't have the faintest clue as to how environmental factors saved their lives. "I don't know," he replied, his voice thick with astonishment, "but I'm grateful for it," as he said those words, fatigue forced him to fall face flat before being saved in the nick of time by no other than Danny himself with his arm wrapped around the doctor's chest.
"Got you," he muttered, his heart pounding in his chest as he held Hansel close, his own body trembling slightly from the immense fear he experienced of being close to death. "We need to go somewhere safe; you need to recover," he instructed, helping the doctor to his feet once more, his gaze darting between the fallen robot and the abandoned vehicle that had so unexpectedly come to their rescue.
"My life keeps getting stranger and stranger every minute."
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