Before long, the Masqueraiders had taken all they could carry and deciding it better to get out while they could, or before the lasers were back on again, made their way to the hatch and back into the tunnels. Vagrant went on ahead with Ska not far behind and Joke, Bracky and Spider behind them. Retracing their route, and remembering the turns, it was no time at all until they were back at the first storage area. On their way, they’d all noted the Cleaners still in shutdown mode and no signs of any rats. Spider quietly reassured Ska that any rodents had been destroyed by the machines already as he had also noted the signs of their death on the blade of the robots. Stooping as they fled; the men made it back to the entrance in excellent time and began their ascent to the warehouse. Two stopped short of fleeing, putting their bags down and replacing the manhole cover. There was still no sound of life outside, meaning they were on time with their plan and could escape into the morning fog undetected.

“We did it!” exclaimed Bracky as he leant on his knees for support while his breath returned to his lungs, “We made it back and everything.”

“Yeah,” Spider nodded and smiled at everyone. It was another success for the group. Another challenge cleared. Probably their most difficult one to date but if they could pull this off, there was nothing they couldn’t do! “Let’s head back and meet up with Theo. Let him know the good news.”

They sauntered over to the warehouse door and laughed to themselves about how easy that had been and how relieved they were that it was over. Vagrant opened the door for his friends and smiled to himself on seeing Carla again. Joke was also grinning about seeing Tiff and spoiling her with presents and hopefully, a new home somewhere outside of this place. He looked at Spider.

“Here’s hoping we don’t have twenty odd cops out front waiting for us.”

Feeling relieved in themselves for doing a good job and for getting out in one piece, the friends laughed it off and looked out at the docks in the daylight. Spider looked back at his friends and nodded as he stepped out into the fresh air.

“I just know we’re going to be all right.”

It came from seemingly nowhere, out of nothing; a great, blinding whiteness enveloped the city and following it; the fire. Fire that spread from the very air that was breathed and spread from one thing to another in a furious breath of disaster. The heat was intense and snuffed out any life that grew from anything. As the intensity grew; so timber and concrete became one with each other in a giant mash of rubble as buildings crumbled to the ground. Those living within would not feel any pain as they had already been burnt to death by the fires. Swirling around in the air, the destructive heat ate everything in its path; anything that dared try and defy it with life was swallowed whole.

The city had been destroyed. All life had been taken, or was to be shortly as the dreaded storm cloud of fallout descended into the fiery haze of what was once a street or a park. The only sounds that were to be heard were of wailing victims, crackling fires and fallen buildings. It was the end.

Through the mists of dust and fallout that descended onto the remains of the town, a lone figure stood their head up as if looking at the approaching poison and welcoming it. Their skin burnt away in places, their clothes melded to their body and their life now a seemingly endless torture. They began to walk, stumbling here and there, away from a pile of bodies and rubble towards the water which was now full of dead sea-life and birds. Standing alone, they looked out at the smoke rising from the Industrial Zone and down to their hands. Life. What is it for if it’s taken away so easily? They stood and watched the city burn and crumble, before turning away and walking on to some form of existence in this barren wasteland.

The only remnant of past life would be forever on their back; the Masqueraiders badge, burnt into his metallic skin, forever.