A grey sky looms overhead. Toxicity hissed inside, down below scraps and pieces of the missile that broke apart the city below. Like spiking an egg on concrete. Craters spread across the land like pimples on a teenager’s face. The stench of death and crispy skin replaced whatever natural scent the city carried before.

Skeletons are the new trash in this new world. Ghost towns were the new norm and quite literal as well.


In this lonely land where only death lived. A single functioning car was left roaming the toxic terra. Not exactly a car per say, but it had four wheels and was able to maneuver through the land that now consisted of sand. 


Four riders inside the beat-up-hunk-of-junk. The miracle on wheels. No glass on the windshield. Or on any of the doors.    


Stepping out of it were four bodies varying in height. Two female bodies and two male bodies. All were youthful with still much room to grow, though one stood out from the four. 

A tall lanky figure. The neck is almost like a hook, slender in body with a low craning neck. Also, the only one without a mask, breathing in the toxic and sickly miasma that is the new oxygen. Having the stench of gunpowder, blood, and residual waste. 

This body was different from the others, besides the height and more lighter wear. Two horns jutted out from his forehead like acne on steroids. Having all white eyes, no pupils. Fangs along with claws. Walking around barefoot, he crushed rocks under his feet without notice. 

He was dressed in rags, baggy clothing with holes and tears in it. Just a long faded tan long-sleeve and dark gray pants with rips near the boot of the legs. 


Opening the door for the female who was sitting in the back of the vehicle with him. She exploded out of the car like a kid who couldn’t wait to hop onto the beach, after hours of waiting in the car.

This little ball of energy is almost half the height of the lollipop of a man behind her. Burning red hair with a white bandanna tied over the middle of the crown of her head. The mask that she wore to protect herself from the harmful gas was a peculiar one indeed.

Seeming to be of foreign descent. An all-white mask that only covered the front of her face. Shaped like a fox  Wearing a military-styled jacket with her sleeves rolled up. Plain black pants with black military boots as well. That seems to be the only plain thing about her.


CHUK-CHUK - the sounds of pistols locking and loading. Infrared beams like a wild rave, the lights pointing in every direction.

“Coast is clear…for now” 

This very serious female with prime athlete-build had pistols pointed like chameleon eyeballs. 

Having a distinct golden and white mask that she wore on her face. Her hair was tied in a bun out of her eyesight. Loose and breathable clothing. A denim vest and light blue relaxed pants. The holsters to her pistols flapped away inside her denim vest.


“That’s enough Noelle.” A male voice called over. Exiting the driver’s seat from the beat-up-mobile. 

That being the point where she finally holstered her pistols.

“I think we outran ‘em.” He continued “None of the GB scouts can catch us when Old Reliable hits the air.” 


The young man patted the hood of the dune buggy. Pulling his cracked goggles from his eyes now that he wasn’t driving.

The young man in question had the matching burning red hair color of the energetic young woman. However, he had the complete opposite demeanor. He carried himself like the head of the table.

He is wearing a tattered and war-torn leather jacket. His right arm is missing a sleeve, to which he has a bandanna tied around it. His pants in a similar condition. Wearing a shin guard on his right leg but missing one on his left. Sporting a belt fashioned out of assault rifle ammunition. Lastly, the mask he wore to protect him from the toxic air is made of razor-sharp metal teeth. The mask acts as an extension of his mouth, moving whenever he speaks.


He pops the hood to which a gust of hot steam pummels him in the face. Making him wish he kept the goggles on.

“MADISON!” He called out in frustration

“MASON!” The red-hot fireball called back “See I can yell your name too, you’re not special.”

“You fried Old Reliable when you lifted us off!” The young man as Mason stated

“Uh-uh do not blame me!” Madison retorted right back “You said ‘get us out of here ASAP!’ To which I did that.”


Noelle coming up behind Mason

“For once she’s be right.” 

Noelle reached into her front pocket. Digging out a small glass vial.

“But at least we got the serum.”

“Devon-Devon! Come with me to go check the building over there!” Madison rang her arm around the lanky-horned adolescent. 

“O-okay” The timid Devon just couldn’t say no.


“WAIT!” Mason demanded, which bolted Devon to the floor with his tone alone. Not Madison though, who was stuck running in place, wondering why she wasn’t moving forward.

“Before you run off and do ANYTHING, what are you NOT supposed to do?” Mason laying it on thick with his twin sister.


“Hmm go alone.”

“Very good, that’s one.”

“Don’t touch machinery of any kind.”

“Good, you were listening.” Mason complemented “One more.”

Suddenly Madison’s demeanor completely switched. From bubbly, to much more grounded.

“Beware of traps.” Saying with a raincloud tone. Meeting her brother’s shocked eyes. “Don’t worry, I didn’t forget,” Madison stated while staring right at the bandana tied across his arm.


Mason coughed, completely caught off guard by that response. He regained his composure.

“Okay everyone so we got three days to find something valuable.”

Mason instructed.

“Yeah it would be easier if Mad Dawg's definition of ‘valuable’ didn’t change quicker than a broken roulette wheel."

Noelle added in.


Mason nodded then said “okay so far from the five cities we went to, we were able to pick up ‘the dark pegasus’ now tha-”


“Great can we go home now?!” Madison whined.


“No Madison. I told you, if this was a couple years ago - when Mad Dawg was more mad than crazy - we could’ve gone home we would’ve been safe for harvest day. But after that stupid history book he got, he’s trying to be just like King John of England. Taxing to become great like him.”


“.....so why can’t we just get some junk and say it’s valuable?” 

“Madison have you not been listening or are you just trying to get a free history lesson? They tried that a year ago.”

“O-oh yeah I remember.”

“How did it end for these people trying to take advantage of his madness?” 


Devon creeping up trying to whisper into Madison’s ear. But Mason caught him as he was cuffing his mouth around her ear.

“Ah! Devon let her answer she’s a strong independent woman.” 

Devon's shoulders sank as he had to let Madison fend for herself.

“Heeee….slapped them with a white glove and said ‘you have brought shame upon my honor I challenge you to a duel at dawn.’ He then slapped him to death.”

“No try again.” Mason shot Madison’s attempt down like a heat-seeking missile.


“Heeee…. Had a party and invited everyone except them and at the party everyone started spreading rumors about them like they have webbed toes, or they have ass-breath, or they have two buttholes.”


Noelle tried to hold in her laughter to not fuel her madness. At the same time she couldn’t help but think “Where the hell does she make this stuff up? She’s doing this just to mess with Mason now.” 


Mason once again had to crush Madison’s imagination.

“You get one more chance or I’m spoiling your ending.”


“Heee….he….heeeeee -”

“He’ll use his hounds to split us open!” Noelle cut in

“Heeey. I almost had it.” Madison whined

“Sorry, time is of the essence. Right now we need three more serums or else the pack will chew us up.” 

“Yeah, yeah. So Can I explore now?” Madison bored to tears having to have this apocalypse safety guide.


Mason just sighed and waved her away. To which Madison drags Devon along with her. Heading into one of the skyscrapers that had been torn in half by missile bombings.

Mason and Noelle watch them run along like kids going to the playground. 

“So how bad does it look?” Noelle asking

“Eh, typical stuff.” Mason says, peering into the engine of the buggy.


His index finger begins to shine silver. He points it towards one of the engine’s gaskets. Unscrewing the cap.

“She unloosened a couple of things here. She burned a couple of things there.” Mason craned his neck all around the small machine’s engine “We’ll just look around for parts and fluids and she’ll be up and running again.”

“Yeah, we’re lucky we have plenty of spare parts lying around.” Noelle looked at the cars all around them.

Flipped onto their side, torn in half, or wedged into a building somewhere.


SHINK! - Mason’s entire left arm shone silver. 

Becoming sharp like the blade of a sword. To which he sliced the smashed hood. Though, it was so deeply indented it was as if a giant stepped on it like it was a lego on the ground.

TR-AT! - Mason using both arms this time. They shine a glistening chrome. Looking like giant hooks as he dug them underneath the car hoods. Sending it up and over a skyscraper building.

Mason’s arms reverted to his normal skin tone. He looks at the treasure chest he had to forcibly open.

“Whoo! We got a winner-winner-chicken-dinner with this one!”


Mason with chrome-tone in his fingertips. Began pulling parts and pieces from the car.

“So do we stand a good chance?” Noelle was a bit somber as she proposes the question.

“What do you mean? We have three days! That’s plenty of time.”


Noelle said nothing in her response. Stopping Mason’s savage salvaging momentarily. Looking up at her.

“Oh, you mean after.”

Mason could see past her tough and objective demeanor. 

“Let’s not worry about that right now. Let’s jus-”

“Get this done first and we’ll worry about it afterwards right?” Noelle finishes Mason’s sentence for him. 

Mason quieted to hear her out.


“Mason it’s getting harder and harder to gather ‘valuable’ things.” Noelle states “It used to be once a month. Now it’s once a week. I just don’t know anymore.”

Mason’s facial expression said it all, he didn’t disagree with her.

“Maybe your Brothers or Sisters could let us sta-”

No, out of the question.”

“Why?! You know they’ll take us in, they’ve done it before.”

“Then you remember what happened when we stayed?”

Noelle went quiet after this comment.


Back over with the much more bubblier redhead.


“Devon this one! This one!” Madison pointed at a stone rubble in the way.

BOOM! - To which Devon instantly tipped it over.

“Yaay!” My construction worker!”

Devon glowed at the praise, his entire pale face becoming a bright pink.

“Now try this one! Poke a hole through it!”

BA-BOOM! - A fire-less explosion crumbled down the wall.

“Yaay! You’re the best D!” Madison hopped up with joy.

“Umm Madison shouldn’t you use your ability?”

“Oh yeah.”


Madison closed her eyes to focus. In her mind, everything around her began to fade. Everything became pitch black.

RRR-III-NNN-GGG - An echo of a pin drop rings in her mind.


Suddenly, back in reality, anything that had metal in it began being pulled to Madison. All at once, lead pencils, tin, desks. 

Inch by inch they come closer and closer. The loose iron girders start being pulled towards her from the roof. The pull getting stronger and stronger. Madison scrunches her face. Applying more force.


Office desks begin flying off the ground towards Madison.

BLAM! - Devon smashes the desk into the ground. On the lookout for anything else that’s lethal.

Soon the floor began vibrating. Madison bit her lip. Straining herself more and more. Now the iron girders began flying from every and each way towards her.


BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! - Devon chopped each one in half. Like slapping a bullet mid-shot to the ground.

“Huh?” Madison opened her eyes for something. Her attention went to something in the corner of the room. She obliviously begins skipping towards it.

BOOM!-BOOM!-BOOM! - The iron girders following her. Devon moved in front, shielding her with his steel-like body.

“Whoa Devon, you should be careful.”

“Mm-hmm” He said under a pain-strained voice.


Madison raises her hand. Pulling on the metal device wedged in the corner. It rattles and rumbles - so does everything else in the building.


Madison sticks out her tongue, focusing more. Devon is diving for her. The rest of the building is caving in.


Back to the married couple


“It isn’t up for discussion. I’ll figure something out.” Mason drew the line in the sand.

“You could always call your Dad.” She mumbles under her breath.

“I haven’t called him for 17 years why would I call him now?!”


Noelle was unable to look him in the eyes. Mason didn’t realize he turned his skin metal in his burst of rage. Crumpling up the metal of the car like it was paper. He finally released the vice-grip he had on the car.


Mason quickly doused the flame in him. Stress and fear being the gasoline. He feels worse than Noelle does. Her pain was carried by the look of her eyes.


“Noelle I-”


Interrupted before he could even attempt to apologize, the sound of a building collapsing in on itself cut in.


“MADISON!” Mason cries out

“DEVON!” Noelle shouts in distress.


Racing over to where the building was.