Chapter 6 A World Out Of Place

Karl paused, the memory playing over and over in his head. And when he turned back to the young girl, all he could see was his sister laying there, frightened to the death.

That was enough.

His hands curled into a tight fist at his side. “FUCK!”

Without another thought, he raced towards the destroyed drone beside him and grabbed its shattered frame. His fingers dug into the exposed wiring and hull as he tore one of its steel arms free, sparks flying as the cables snapped.

“Ugh!” The weight pulled at his injured side but he didn’t stop.

He kept his gaze fixed on the drone, marching toward the girl, teeth gritted, eyes burning with rage. He watched it raise its blade, ready to strike…

Too late.

Karl charged, a raw yell tearing from his throat as he leapt into the air. He swung the jagged steel arm with everything he had left and drove it into the drone’s head.

The impact sent a resounding crash exploding through the room. The drone jittered, clawing at its head as sparks flew in all directions.

Karl growled, twisting the weapon deeper as the machine’s body twitched violently beneath him. It whirred loudly as it crashed into the ground.

“You fucking bastard!” He pulled the makeshift weapon back and slammed it in again. “You won’t touch her! You hear me? I won’t let you kill her!”

The light In the drone’s visor dimmed and faded to black. But Karl didn’t stop. He kept on hammering, ignoring the agony tearing across his side, until nothing remained but a hollow space filled with sparking wires and oil sludge.

Silence filled the arena, broken only by the constant screams behind him and his own beavy breathing. He leaned forward with a low groan, the broken weapon slipping slightly in his blood-covered grip as he stared at the girl.

She remained frozen, her eyes filled with terror as she looked between Karl and the machine.

“Go.” He turned away from her. “Run.”

She didn’t need to be told twice. She scrambled to her feet and bolted toward the exit, joining the rest of the fleeing students.

Karl watched for a moment before throwing the metal arm aside. He tried to take a step forward and his legs nearly gave out beneath him. His frame swayed from the exhaustion hitting him all at once and he let out a tired sigh.

“…Damn it,”

That fight had taken whatever strength he had left. He still had to walk back home, and this time he wasn’t stopping for anyone.

Clutching his side, he drew in a deep breath and pushed out of the arena, away from the chaos with a single thought now burned bright in his mind.

Home.

He had to get to his mother and his sister. He had already lost them once. He wasn’t going to be late again.

He burst out of the academy through the back door, the cool air brushing over his bloodied skin like ice. His boot slammed against the cement pavement, kicking up grime and water. He staggered slightly but forced his body to keep moving.

Outside, the world hadn’t fully collapsed yet. But it sure as hell getting there fast.

Students and teachers flooded the streets. Some cried. Some shouted into their phones. Others stood frozen, victims of the stray drones. Emergency bots hovered over the mayhem, broadcasting evacuation instructions in calm, monotone voices, as if any of this was normal.

“Remain calm and proceed to designated safety zones.”

“Do not engage malfunctioning units.”

“Help is on the way.”

The last part almost made Karl laugh.

Help. No one was coming to help. It was every man for himself now.

A burst of gunfire and screams that cut off too quickly echoes from somewhere behind him. He swallowed the lump in his throat and refused to look back.

He couldn't afford risking time to help someone else. Not anymore.

His pace slowed slightly as his gaze swept across the street, taking everything in.

Vehicles had crashed into one another. Smoke rose from mangled metal. People ran in every direction and service droids hovered above, guiding civilians toward emergency transport lines. Many of the machines still functioned normal, their visors the familiar deep shade of blue as they helped the humans around them.

Just like the early stage of the apocalypse.

“None of this is right.” His brows furrowed as he kept moving. “It started downtown last time. At Rob Corps.”

He remembered it clearly. By the time news reached the academy, half the city had already been plunged into chaos. The school had evacuated everyone before the machines ever got close.

But now it had started here. Right where he was standing.

He turned it over his mind as his pace quickened.

“The AIs changed it,” His eyes darkened. “They’re all here because of me.”

The pieces fell into place. The moment he came back, the moment his system was activated. The instant the Butlerbot had stared at him with that knowing gaze.

They were watching him.

His lips curled into a faint, dangerous smirk as his fist tightened at his side.

“…Good.”

If the machines had sped up the apocalypse just to deal with him, then that meant they really saw him as a threat.

In the comic books he’d scavenged back in the wasteland, the systems of the protagonist always responded instantly. They gave clear prompts, paths, skills and power-ups for the host to grow stronger.

But his was silent and unresponsive.

Because the bastards were interfering.

And his system wasn’t broken. It was blocked. Which meant whatever he had inside him was powerful enough that the AIs were actively working to suppress it.

His smirk widened just slightly as he stared at a bot twitching in the distance.

“So you’re scared of me…” he muttered. “Well. That changes everything.”