Apocalypse | BTS

Chapter 2

Night fell quickly, wrapping the day in its dark blanket as the inky night sky became filled with tiny specks of light. Hoseok lay on the back of the truck, admiring the beauty of the stars and the sky; the only thing that stayed the same in this ever changing world. Although darkness was like a magnet for danger, the orange-haired male couldn't help but find a feeling of comfort in it as it masked the horror and destruction that ensued after the fateful day.

"Hobi?"
Hoseok was brought out of his trance as he noticed Leanne's head pop up from beside the truck. He sat up and smiled, extending his hand to her. She returned the smile, placing her hand in his and lacing their fingers together, allowing Hoseok to pull her into the back of the truck beside him. They settled down, hands behind their heads as they took a moment to just relax and stare at the sky.

"It's beautiful, isn't it." Leanne breathed, not minding the slight chill that came over her skin as a cool breeze passed through. Hoseok hummed contentedly, allowing his eyes to close momentarily. It wasn't often that they'd just get a moment to relax and let their bodies breathe due to the stress and restraints that living in such a world would give them. Needing to always be on guard was a suffocating way to live, but after two years, they weren't going to give up now. To be honest, they couldn't even call it living, it was more like surviving.

"I'll keep watch tonight, you get in and get some rest." Leanne said, reaching to a box in the back and taking out her Katana, attaching the sheath to her belt. Hobi gave her a grateful smile, his lidded eyes already threatening to fall shut after a couple of tough days involving many encounters.
"Thanks Lee. Goodnight." Hoseok said tiredly, his friend chuckling at his drowsiness.
"Night Hobi. Sleep well."

Hoseok went round to the passenger side of the truck, clambering in and curling up on the chair with his back leant against the door. Reaching for a compartment under the dashboard he pulled out a single woollen blanket, tattered a torn from the years of use, but still successful as a barrier against the night's biting cold. He didn't hesitate to allow the warm grasp of slumber take him within minutes as he earned some well-deserved rest.

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'Tap tap tap'
The orange-haired male woke up with a start, adrenaline levels high and breathing quick as he sat bolt upright in the seat. A repetitive and almost metallic sound of tapping had stirred him awake, and realising that he'd heard the tapping come from his left, the window, he felt immediately unsettled. It didn't take long for him to notice something in his peripheral vision, which made his heart stop and body freeze. There was a figure standing outside the window, and it wasn't Leanne, she was at the back.

Adam's apple bobbing in his throat, he gulped, turning his head stiffly in the direction of the window. His breath hitched as a pair of two reptilian eyes stared back at him, accompanied with a humanoid head covered in red, bioluminescent scales that reflected eerily against the glass. A clawed hand reached the glass as the borg released a low growl, it's long, serrated yellow teeth gleaming in the pale moonlight. It had an almost snake-like appearance, with its forked green tongue and two large fangs hanging down either side of its top jaw, one could mistake it for a lizard of sorts. Well one thing was for sure, these creatures were most definitely cold-blooded. One wrong move and the alien could smash the window with superhuman strength, so Hobi was stuck on what to do. Before he could even think of calling out for help, a figure jumped down behind the borg, and a glowing green liquid splattered across the glass of the window as it's corpse slumped to the floor.

Hobi breathed a sigh of relief as Leanne stood outside the window, her blade covered in the stuff that oozed from the borg's body as it dripped thickly in puddles to the grass.
"Whew, Sorry! I saw it, but I knew I had to make my way over quietly so that it wouldn't hurt you." Leanne said as she opened the door to examine Hoseok's shaken form.
"It's o-okay. Thanks, at least it w-was just a borg." Hoseok stuttered as she gave him an apologetic look, but she was quick to lighten up as Hobi gave her a reassuring smile.
"I know you've always got my back." He said, and she chuckled, flicking her sleek black hair back over her shoulder.
"You too, Hobi."

The orange-haired male let out a grunt as he stretched his aching muscles and rubbed his neck. The day was still to come where he'd sleep well in a chair, but he'll wait.
He opened a compartment at the front of the car, letting out a lace of curses when he did so.
"Is something wrong?" Leanne asked, the soft light of the dawn bringing out a red tinge in her hair.

"We're basically out of bullets. We can't use our rifles until we find somewhere to re-stock on ammo." He said in a sigh, and Leanne frowned.
"I guess we'll have to stick with melee. But where on earth could we restock? Everywhere we've checked has been entirely raided!" She huffed, pointing towards the large, dystopian  city that stood tall in the distance.

"Let's save that thought for when we devise a plan. For now, I think we need to go and gain some food resources. There's a small abandoned village just past the valley that we could try." Hobi suggested, and Leanne nodded at the idea.
"Sounds like a plan. Let's get on the road."

With that, Leanne jumped over to the drivers' seat as Hobi pulled out a map from the pocket of his military coat. Two years on and his military clothing was still proving useful against the harsh environment of today's Earth. Hoseok made sure to keep his axe at hand, just in-case of any attacks, and they began on their way, across the grass and through the rocky terrain once more to reach the valley a few kilometres to the north.

The sun shone brightly down on the rocks, their shadows causing distorted shapes as the protruding surfaces climbed the hills. Heat was both scarce and plentiful in the new world that they lived in. With many places controlled by lava, you had to be careful, but with no available electricity unless you made it of your own accord, being able to keep yourself warm was all down to the material on your body.

The valley was known to be one of the only places that had a freshwater river instead of one made of magma or obsidian, but that meant they had to be extra careful as it was a popular area for squads and outcasts alike. Some were friendly; you could make alliances with camps, but would pay an unethical price if you betrayed them. And some people weren't so friendly. Outcasts and rebel groups would do anything in their power to steal your goods or gain information from you, if those sickos were smart enough. It was known for such people to be quite unintelligent and unskilled, but you had to be extremely wary of them nonetheless.

"Dammit!"
Hoseok turned his head after Leanne's sudden exclamation, worried about what was wrong.
"What is it?" He asked, noticing the frustrated expression that clung to the girl's features.
"We're almost out of fuel. I suppose we'll have to stop and reevaluate." She sighed, and Hobi groaned, bringing a hand across his face.
"That hadn't even cross my mind." He mumbled into the palm of his hands, feeling the truck being brought to a gradual halt as Leanne eased her foot off of the accelerator.

"So what should we-"
"Shhh!"
Hoseok's query was cut off as Leanne hissed for him to stay quiet, her eyes locked onto  something in the distance as she peered through the windscreen. Hobi tensed you at her silence, gulping slightly.
"Leanne? What is it..." Hobi's words trailed off as his allowed his eyes to follow where Leanne was looking, gasping at what he saw.
"A borg," Leanne nodded, her eyes squinting to the point where you'd question if she could actually see or not, "and..."

"...a dog?!"