The feeling sobbed from the cool stone walls as a new sound began to join the symphony of silence. Titus felt drawn, trying to clearly see what was in the dead center of the cavernous room he found himself entering. It was nebulous, the large swirling grey and black shape blocked his visual of the road. It stood on many misshapen legs. The legs were oddly spread out, spider-like but awkward and wrong. The body seemed to hold no more answers than the legs. Titus could make out a swaying serpent-like tail sliding itself over a long stretch of body that looked more like a centipede. Full body chills ran through Titus, as he stopped where he stood, a mere 10 meters away from this unknown thing.  

The creature stooped over an android and lifted the limp body into the air by its slender appendages, simultaneously shredding the android's clothes right off. It then began to unscrew and neatly take the android apart, stacking things into separate piles. Titus watched and listened in horror as with each piece taken the sticky black blood fell in sheets. All Titus could do in this moment was a witness as this faceless android was taken apart bit by bit and robbed of things once so natural to them.  

Titus stood there in shock, until the hell spider swiftly sliced the android's abdomen and the blue-toned organs fell roughly to the floor with a sickening splat. This was evidently enough to rile the sleeping android awake. Without warning, the android screamed terribly and fought to resist the many hands of the thing that held them so tightly. The being paid this no mind. It instead began to sort through the mess of organs, deciding what was valuable and what wasn't. 

Titus' hands were shaking, but before his mind could catch up with the rest of his body, he had snatched up a stone that was by his feet and cast it at the mutant. "Leave them alone!" He burst, tears streaming down his cheeks. The beast momentarily paused in its stiff, jerky movements. This caused Titus to stumble a few steps back, he was second-guessing his whole life up to this point. Then the demon turned, the black and grey wires shifting as what appeared to be a head locked in squarely on Titus. The being wore a white, glass mask so anyone could clearly see, as its jagged and unnatural mouth unhinged its own jaws and unmistakably smirked.

It turned to face him suddenly, a mouth opening under the face it wore. Its jaw looked like thick muscled wires that turned into somewhat of a smile.

Titus starred on in horror as it dropped the pale, bleeding android. It crouched, a strange mechanical clang sounding like a roar bellowed from its strange oversize throat.

It looked as mutated and strange as everyone had told him. It rushed forward to which Titus was suddenly caught in its vision.

His mind suddenly realized he was going to die, blinking as he fell backwards suddenly. It came upon him quickly skittering on multiple sized legs of different kinds of androids and animals.

It stood on the back end, ready to kill or take apart Titus and figure out just what makes him tick. His heart was pounding in his ears as time seemed to slow. He was going to die here. This would be it. He would join his father soon enough in that next realm.

There was a quick flick as it's face was almost shoved awkwardly away from Titus. the multiple heavy wires and lines swinging like fat on a it's throat.

Something had hit it upside the head, a large heavy stick now stuck out awkwardly from its head. This was enough time for Titus to catch his breath, flipping over quickly and scrambling off back towards the forest.

Once he got to his feet he raced as quick as he could, shrieking until his throat felt raw. Tears flew through his eyes as he tried to figure out where he could hide from that thing.

He opened his mouth to shriek again only to quickly be tugged aside, he found himself inside the roots of a large old tree halfway buried into a large boulder with strange markings all over it.

There was an android here, their green eyes glaring into his own as Titus began to struggle against the hold.

They held their hand more firmly against his mouth, Titus could feel his jaw clenching as he tried to read this new threat. Titus took in the green eyes of this man. He had dark skin that blended in well in the dark of the shadows. His hair hung in coils of rope, strung back by a single pale colored cloth. He wore a grey robe over a black sweatshirt and green pants. His shoes looked old and worn yet somehow, they held together.

Slowly the man recoiled his hold on Titus.

To which Titus quickly grabbed his hand to yank from his mouth. "WHO--" It barely took a moment before the man's hand was back over his mouth.

"Do you want to be caught?!" He hissed out in a whisper. "Stay quiet if you wish not to be next for scrap." Titus swallowed shallowly. There was a silent creak, a shadow passing over head. It moved over the tree; the branched-out roots exposed over the ground creaking under the weight of the slithering thing. He paused, seating its weight on the base of the tree. It sounded odd, as though the weight of the thing on top were lighter than what the mass of black wires revealed.

The espresso skinned being pressed a finger to his lips. His hazel green gaze firm and serious as the thing about sat still and scanned the horizon for where they may have run off too.

It was a tense moment, staring into one another's eyes as he felt his heart pound and ring in his ears.

There was the snapping sound as the tree hunkered down and creaked once more. A low hissing coming from the beast as it finally moved onward. Presumably back towards its meal of parts and android flesh.

Titus clutched his eyes shut, watching his breathing as the hand was once again slowly removed from his face.

The stranger eased up slowly. To which Titus took note of his clothing attire. A dark tan T shirt wrapped in rags with worn out green pants and a long flowing tattered jacket. Around his neck he had a gold chain with dog tags on them and a green scarf.

His hair looked like well woven rope, coiled messily in a knot behind his head. The ends sticking loosely into the air as he turned to Titus once more.

"Let’s never meet again." He stated, turning to duck under the weaving roots of the tree.

"W-Wait a moment hey!" He chased after the man, grabbing his coat. To which his leather slack boots scuffed on the soft dirt as he turned sharply to Titus.

A glare that could make someone's head malfunction it was so chilling.

Titus immediately released his arm. Forgetting instantly what it was he was going to say. "Thank you for saving me!" He recounted, trembling fingers moving and folding politely to his chest.

This, however, did not appease the man as he turned fully towards Titus.

He took a bold step towards Titus.

"That." He growled out, his voice stern with a soft undertone of mechanic whirring. " Was nothing more than delaying the inevitable. As an older model your day will come too. " He threatened, his upper lip curling as he bared his teeth, his face morphing for a moment into something black and feathered with two piercing red eyes. a white masked owl of monstrous size.

"As a scavenger we are the harbingers of death and the saviors to those who can afford their payment. " He returned to his more pleasant to look at form.

Much to Titus' relief. He turned with a cold shoulder to the blonde-haired boy. Skulking off once more and this time, Titus let him.

He let out a soft sound of hair from the side of his lips. "Well. I spoke to someone for a bit. That was nice." He hummed, taking in note on what a 'scavenger' was.

So those were the things tearing Androids apart and leaving their scattered half dismantled parts strewn all over the forest.

He best figured it was something left over from the war. Though, he now faced a new issue.

"I still need to get to the city..."

He turned his head left, then right, then left again. Viewing the thick, overgrown forest as young and old trees of many varieties swarmed together and made up the forest before him. Lush moss growing over the roots as random springs of water ran through this way and that.

The forest remained silent as it recovered from the screaming that was Titus and his amazing lungs apparently.

He turned to go opposite of that droid, staring down the long embankment that once held a large monster that used its unique hands to tear apart a sleeping droid.
Titus swallowed at the memory, shaking his head from side to side to erase the thought. He was here for a reason! Nothing, not even a freakish, terrifying monster like that, was going to get in his way.
He needed to get to the city by the end of the day!
With that in his mind, Titus made his way back around to the mouth of the canyon. Though, he was more careful to who and what he would be running into. Peering carefully around the corner as he made his way back down the familiar pathway.
As the boy made his way, trudging through the now wet dirt with the all too familiar hue of black blood he instead came upon a dark patch of dirt. The android being torn apart no where to be found and thick lines lead off to the left into a wall.
He shuddered, wanting nothing more than to count his blessings where he received them.
As Titus neared the center of the canyon, it opened to reveal the bottom half of a bustling city. Older models, bots and a few animatronics all crowded into the market streets. Some with rags covering their disfigured faces while others tried to hide their faces as they were newer models having been banished or searching for their own parts.
Titus took in a deep breath, smiling as he rocked back on his heels. Clutching his bag over his shoulders and looking onward excitedly at the market.
Excitedly he stepped forward into the world of the market, people shoving through and calling out names as everyone talked over each other. He moved through the crowds of beings.
He grabbed what he needed, bartering for what was in his backpack. Wires, spare parts, old books from ruins partially buried in the dead sand. He even found a few oversized gears! Old hard drives, seeds, cups. Anything he found in the ruins could be traded for spare parts.
His backpack rustled with new parts He had found a good number of extra parts today! It felt like it was going to be a good haul to return home with!
Titus gleamed as he walked with his backpack open, looking proudly on at all the spare’s he had managed to grab this time around.
That was, until his face collided with someone Infront of him. The man looked over his shoulder, wearing a cowl around his face yet that did nothing to hide his piercing green eyes. The way they met with his pale skin and brightly colored red hair that waved in thick curls down the side of his face. It perfectly framed his slender chin and jaw. The soft remnant of brown freckles kissing his cheek as a less delicate glare was met with Titus’ own face.
He stood quite a few inches taller than Titus after all and now looked over his shoulder as Titus gawked at what a beautiful Android he was.
Titus found himself shamefully hugging his backpack close to his chest. Despite realizing he should stare he continued to do so to the android’s displeasure.
“What are you still doing here?” He finally said, a soft click of his tongue made it clear he was annoyed at Titus.
“W-well I…” Titus managed to mutter out.
“First you nearly get killed at the entrance and now you’re wondering around with your things open. Are you trying to get looted or is this just a hobby of yours?”
Titus simply swallowed, becoming flustered.
“I didn’t mean to bump into you! Maybe you should just learn not to stand in the center of the market?” This caused the beautiful stranger to turn to Titus, gripping at the collar of his shirt. Lifting him some.
“You don’t get to say that! You know its illegal for outside Androids to even be in these sorts of markets? You could get in huge trouble!”
Titus squirmed, throwing the Droid’s hands from his shirt and falling to the ground. Which caused several on lookers to turn and stare.
This caused the tall android to look carefully around the crowd. Pulling further on the cloak to hide his face.
“Just stop looking for trouble.” He said sternly. To which Titus scoffed, picking himself off the dirt floor and brushing off his now dusty clothes. To think he just washed this shirt this morning! 
“How do you know I was at the entrance?” This caused the Android’s piercing green gaze to squint at the boy. His own pale grey-blue eyes glancing to the side quickly as he decided if he should have regretted asking the question.
“I was the one who threw the spear to try and get that thing away from you. Then you disappeared into thin air and reappeared in the market!” Titus’ brows furrowed, looking more than a bit confused at the memory. “That was because—” He tried to explain to the red headed stranger but instead, they turned, brushing Titus off. To which Titus was surprised by, looking around as they began to shove their way through the crowd of androids. “Like I am that easy to lose!” He answers to no one else besides himself. Giving chase after the stranger walking beside him and slumping his heavy backpack onto his shoulders. “Names Titus. What about you.” He tried to make himself seem cool. This guy obviously was some sort of a celebrity by how he tried to hide his face.
Or maybe it was the fact his knuckles were bandaged that gave him away. Maybe he wasn’t a celebrity so much as someone who had fallen from grace.
“None of your business.” He replied. Titus paused, skulking for a moment before shrugging and following close after.
“Well, where and how did you make that spear? What were you doing that far up?”
“Do you always ask annoying questions?”
“Typically. Its rare for me to talk to others since my home is full of animatronics.”
“Do you speak code?” The stranger raised a brow, to which Titus gave a soft shake of his head. “No, but they raised me, so I take care of them by getting replacement parts from nearby cities. “