System Failure (A Hayden Tree x Brandon Hoover Story)

II

Get up.

I'm running. Faster. Faster.

My feet falter, and it's a mistake I will soon gravely regret.

"Scarecrows!" I hear the shrill scream and my temples begin to pulse.

Faster. Move faster.

I reach the compound and get the doors open before I see it.

Pop.

Taddie is down and screaming, blood pooling from his leg.

Pop pop pop.

He now lays there lifeless. The Runaways are now dropping like flies and all I can do is run.

Harder. Faster.

I manage to get the door open before I hear the popping again, more Runaways hitting the leaf covered forest floor.

"Get down!" I bark, running from the metal doors to The Hollow, legs faltering once more, causing me to fall to the floor roughly with a thud. I watch as blood beads fill my palm, but I have no time to react. I jump up and run to The Hollow's entrance, hitting the large red button on my way in. I get inside before I hear it, Scarecrows shooting through the sheets of metal. We don't have much time.

"All new recruits, we have been surrounded by scarecrows. This is not a drill. I repeat this is not a drill. Runaway status is active to all new recruits starting immediately. System failure."

The alarm sounds as I run as far as I can into The Hollow, taking my place next to Bones on the center platform.

"We're surrounded!" He yells, voice deep and growling. The initiates look back to us in horror, some shaking, others sweating. One even pukes.

"You protect the compound no matter what! Sacrifice your life for it! We are the Runaways! Welcome to the Resistance!" He jumped off the platform once he was done, taking the gun from his belt holster, swinging it once before loading it. I took my place by his side as we walked towards the entrance, Leo, Escamilla, and Lopez by our sides. Taddie and Vargas had already been shot. I cleared my throat while keeping a steady march, popping my neck as we neared the exit.

"Left, right, left right left!" Bones called finger tightening on the trigger. The doors were pulled back and it began again.

Pop. Pop. Pew. Bam. Pop

I look to my left. Leo has a bullet where his eye once was, blood spewing from it thickly. He screams loudly but no one gives him a second glance. They instead trample over his body until he's lifeless.

"Don't fall back!" I yell, my voice sounds unlike mine and I feel myself fear what comes next. I load my gun before raising it, firing into the crowd of Scarecrows, many of them falling with inhuman screams.

Pop pop pop.

I look to my right and watch as a bullet enters Escamilla's neck. He coughs and chokes on his blood, looking to me for help. I raise my gun again, firing at them once more. He drops to his knees before my eyes but I feel no remorse or pain. Instead, I turn my gun on him, firing once, my bullet meeting him between the eyes. His body falls dead at my feet. He twitches once before I step over him, charging further into the battle.

"Tree! There's too many!" I hear Bones's words and I nod, reloading before looking back to The Hollow.

"There's another exit!" I call, gesturing to The Hollow with a bob of my head. He falls back, turning his back on the Runaways, leaving them to die. I do the same.