When The World Burned

Chapter 15

With a towel, Rue wiped away sweat from her brow as a little oddly shaped bird fluttered over to her. Landing on her shoulder, the bird let out an odd chirp and tilted its beaked head to the side. Despite looking like a bird, it had fur along its body and legs. The only feathered parts were its wings.

"Yes, I know," She chimed with a smile on her face that did not reach her eyes. "I'm worried, too. It's almost time for him to be home."

Another chirp was all the bird offered in answer before taking off toward the ceiling. She watched it go silently before leaving the small training room. Making her way down the short hallway, she took the first door to the right and found the bedroom. Crossing through the room, she made it to the bathroom and began to pull up her tank top.

A loud banging sound stopped her. Dropping the fabric, she stepped back into the bedroom and gazed toward the third doorway of the room that led to the bunker ladder entrance. Another banging sounded came from it as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

Kage never made that kind of noise when returning. He had a key, after all.

Quickly going to the closet, she jerked it open and pulled out a pump-action shotgun. Opening a box of bullets as another bang erupted from above, she loaded the gun. Looking back toward the doorway, she practically jumped out of her skin when another bang was followed by the metal door falling to the floor with loud clangs. It crashed and rocked for a moment as the petite woman aimed her gun in its direction.

"He...hello?" She stammered. This was definitely not Kage.

A body flew down, landing in a crouch atop the bent door. The stranger slowly stood and began to step through the small hallway leading to the ladder. Stepping off the bent metal, they reached the doorway and made their way into the room, a single grey eye piercing into Rue.

"Hello, brat." He stated with a grin. "I found you."

Ocean blue eyes going wide, Rue frowned. "...Billy?" She gasped out.

"It's Scar now," He corrected and pulled the spear from his back. "What do you plan to do? Shoot me?"

Without answering, she cocked the shotgun and aimed it at him. Narrowing her eyes, she waited to see what he would do. A part of her knew she should just shoot Billy, but something about him was off – very off. The pointed ears, claws, and that metallic looking tail were a dead giveaway already, but something told her he had changed further. How was he able to walk the surface without dying from radiation poisoning? How had he found her home?

Letting out a shaky breath, she ordered, "Get out."

Chuckling, he seemed to disappear for a moment and was suddenly in front of her. Knocking the shotgun aside, he sliced at her with the spear. Yelling, she jerked to the side and avoided the blade in time as her gun went sliding across the room. Pain slammed into her side as a heavy boot stamped down on her. Once. Twice. Again, and again, he stomped on her until she caved into the pain, coughed out a little blood. Her hands were flailing about, slapping against the cabinet for anything.

She needed a weapon, something – anything! It was embarrassing enough that she had been unable to shoot off a single bullet with the shotgun. Curse her bleeding heart for people! Kage had warned her to never hesitate, to never let the enemy know she wanted to offer them some form of mercy.

As his foot landed again, Rue's fingers wrapped around a long weapon. Of course, she would have to grab the one weapon she was not used to wielding yet. Despite her discouragement, she jerked it from the closet and swung at Billy/Scar with a cry.