The street turned to chaos as shouts followed the gunshot. People scurried about, all after their own needs and wants. The cult members rushed us down with metal bars, wooden clubs, and whatever they had to use in this war-stricken city.

Uwu stepped up behind me, shouting something to the two girls we were with, pushing them behind us. I aimed at the nearest Gellical cultist. Boom. Boom. I dropped the woman with scars across her face. I felt a bit sad dropping people so crazed by the collapse of their society and lack of resources, but right now, it was either them or me.

I could hear Echo’s laughing of glee as he whipped out his dual shotguns hanging from his shoulders. The booms deafened us as buckshot spewed out across the mob. Two more cultists fell to their death, resting in the dirty streets.

A hand grabbed my shoulder, and I instinctively pulled around, aiming my gun. Uwu was standing there, his eyes scanning the crowd.

“Let’s get the hell out of here. We can’t waste time on this mess.” He pushed Ash and Noodle ahead, the two girls unable to take their eyes off the carnage in front of us. Echo nodded and took point, pushing out further into the streets. His guns held high as he turned the corner.

The mob was rushing the fire pit, grabbing hunks of meat and stuffing into in their faces. Some grabbed the makeshift weapons and fought each other off, staking their own piece of meat. Some Anthros grabbed the dead men and women, biting into raw flesh, or hacking off some hunks of meat for their own consumption.

They snarled and growled and murdered each other over the forbidden food.

I slowly backed up, watching out for anyone trying to follow us. The cries were fading in the distance. The bald priest’s body was flung down onto the ground below and hacked apart by a makeshift saw. They had easy food in front of them; they shouldn’t chase us down now.

I quickly turned and left the mess behind me, pushing the scenes from my head. Ahead of me the team was quickly pushing through the street, sticking as close to the walls as they could. We ducked as a Gellical ship flew overhead, screeching across the sky.

Echo kicked in a doorway and scanned inside, ushering us behind him. We all followed him in, scanning the lobby of an apartment building. It was quiet and empty. Uwu kneeled checking his map one more time.

Ash was breathing heavily, “Things have changed a bit since I was last out here. They’ve all gone crazy!” She paced back and forth, catching her breath.

“Shit’s like that when you got nothing left.” Noodle spoke softly while hunched over the map, “You gotta do what you gotta do.”

Her words made me think of the Huff that she had sold across the city, or at least stuff that got away from her and was turned into a horrid street drug. You got to do what you got to do to survive in this world, and any other, it was the same everywhere you go nowadays. Everyone fighting to survive in their own little hole.

Uwu stood, “Looks like we’re still on track. Everyone okay?” He glanced around at us.

We all nodded. I doubt any of us were actually okay. We just couldn’t admit it. Not now at least.

“Alright, let’s get moving.” Uwu led the way, peering out into the street for a moment, his eyes scanning the windows, shadows, anything that could be a threat. He nodded, “Now.” He ducked out into the street, his gun held firmly in his hand now.

The girls followed him, Echo right behind, I pulled out last, tugging the door back into place. I glanced down the street from where we came, hearing the shouts and screams still as people were eating each other.

A figure in red came around the corner, a strange helmet atop his head with a red mohawk. I furrowed my brow, lowering my cowl to zoom in on the figure. He was wearing scrap metal as armor and a red skirt. He shouted something and several more dressed just like him came from around the corner. They held metal swords in their hands. One held a chain with some of the mob cuffed to it, mostly women.

“This shit keeps getting better and better.” I shook my head, turning to catch up to my group when a long pole landed to my left, sticking into the ground with ease. It was a spear or something. I glanced back to see them throwing spears my direction. I popped off a few shots in return, dropping one of those dressed in red.

They shouted and a dozen more men emerged from behind the buildings. I took off running before anything else happened. The group was waiting for me, gun held high as I turned a corner.

“Those red freaks are right behind us.”

Ash’s eyes went big, “We gotta move fast. They aren’t letting us go.” Ash looked around the buildings, “This way. A shortcut.”

She took off in the lead, her arc-pistol at the ready. We all followed. Leaving the mess behind us, hoping they wouldn’t catch up more than they had already.

“Just up ahead. That’s the meeting spot.” Ash sighed in relief. “Just have to turn up the charm.”

We cut through some alleys just behind a metro station, coming up on the entrance in a low and slow manner. I scanned the entrance and there was no motion inside. Nothing was happening.

I checked my HUD for the time, “We’re early. Where are they?” I spoke too soon.

Out of the entrance was a group of red clad figures dragging out some of the scavengers and tossing them in a circle.

Shit. This was bad. Couldn’t anything go easy here?