The Sentinels had spotted them. Alarms blared, and the group broke into a desperate sprint, the box awkwardly weighing them down.
Leo's lungs burned as they ran, the sound of Sentinels closing in like the relentless pounding of a drum. "We can't outrun them!" Max shouted, stumbling as his injured leg buckled beneath him.
Leo skidded to a stop, cursing under his breath as he grabbed Max's arm to steady him. "Keep moving!"
"I'm trying!" Max hissed, his face pale from pain. "But unless you've got wings hidden somewhere, we're sitting ducks!"
Leo's gaze darted to the box in his hands. Desperation clawed at him. He slammed it onto the ground and pried it open with trembling hands.
Inside was a strange device—gun-shaped but sleek and alien, humming faintly with an energy that made the hairs on his arms stand on end.
"What the hell is that?" Max panted, leaning heavily against a tree for support, his panic mingling with exhaustion.
"No idea," Leo muttered, his heart hammering as he grabbed the device.
As soon as his fingers curled around the grip, the device came alive. Lights flared to life along its sleek metal body, and something sharp coiled around Leo's wrist, latching on like living metal. A searing pain shot through him, racing from his wrist to his chest and head. He staggered, a cry escaping his lips as the sensation surged and then disappeared, leaving him breathless.
"Leo! Drop it!" Nia shouted, panic clear in her voice.
But Leo couldn't. His hand refused to let go, as if the device had become part of him. The metal hummed with energy, its glow intensifying, and before Leo could comprehend what was happening, the first Sentinel rounded the corner.
Instinct took over. Without thinking, Leo raised the device. He didn't even aim—it moved on its own, tracking the Sentinel with uncanny precision.
A sharp, high-pitched whine filled the air, and then a brilliant blue burst of energy erupted from the device. The blast struck the Sentinel square in the chest, throwing it back into a wall with such force that the structure crumbled around it. The machine twitched violently before falling still, its lifeless frame sparking in the dim light.
The group froze, stunned. Nia's mouth hung open, her usual sharp retort nowhere to be found. Max leaned against the tree, his pain momentarily forgotten as he stared at Leo and the weapon fused to his hand.
"What the hell just happened?" Max managed, his voice hoarse.
Leo didn't respond immediately, his chest heaving as he stared at the device now humming quietly in his grasp. He felt it again—that strange, alien warmth pulsing through his veins, syncing with the faint glow of the weapon.
"We can't stay here!" Nia snapped, snapping him out of his daze. "There's more coming. Move!"
Leo shoved the box's remains into his pack and slung it over his shoulder. He grabbed Max, helping him limp as they took off into the dense undergrowth. They didn't stop until they were miles away, hidden beneath a canopy of trees.
Max collapsed against a tree, groaning as he cradled his injured leg. "We're alive… somehow."
Nia paced, her breathing ragged. "What the hell was that thing?" she asked, her eyes wide with fear and awe as they locked onto the weapon still attached to Leo's hand.
Leo didn't answer. He didn't know. But as he clenched his fist around the strange device, its glow faintly dimmed. The gun detached from his wrist, but a weird metallic wristlet remained. Leo felt a chilling certainty: whatever this was, it wasn't just a weapon. It was something far more dangerous—and now, it seemed like it was a part of him.
*FLASHBACK*
"These bastards just don't quit, do they?" Max said between gritted teeth, yielding a shotgun. "I wish I could shoot them all dead, ya' know?"
Leo saw a team of uniformed men-like, all in black, with helmets that covered the wearer's entire face, walking through the rubble.
Moments ago, he saw a little girl with wide, longing eyes fixed on a stray candy wrapper. Leo's fists clenched as the girl's terrified cries pierced the air. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to take action, but logic chained him in place. He was helpless—and he hated it. For a while, Leo was caught in his own memories, but his momentary escape was cut short by shouts in the distance. That's when he moved, just to find Max, his best friend, calling him from behind the shell of an abandoned car. Leo looked in the direction of the child, but when he didn't see her a certain relief formed in his chest.
Looking back at the threat, he recognized the 'men'. Those were the Sentinels, official machine guards that roamed the neighborhoods looking for people in a deplorable state who could fight in the so-called Arenas. And they didn't distinguish between gender or age. The Sentinels didn't go out looking for anyone, unless there was a good chance of finding their prey. Wandering around looking for victims without an official order was the job of the Hunters.
From what Leo could see, some people had fought against the Sentinels and ended up on the ground, losing their lives. He couldn't say he was sorry, after all, they were still free there. Once captured, they would be nothing more than slaves.
A faint sound caught Leo's attention, and he saw the little girl under a car. She accidentally kicked a can, and that was her mistake.
"Under the car!" the muffled, robotic voice of one of the Sentinels sounded and the girl tried to get out from under the car and run, but she was quickly caught.
"Max, do something!" Leo urged. He was out of ammunition, a scarce item in that world, so only Max could do something.
"Damn it, Leo, we can't fight all of them!" Max complained. They had few bullets left, and, of course, being two skinny men, how could they fight against tough and armed machine men?
Seeing the look on Leo's face, Max knew there was no point in continuing to refuse to help. He let out a low growl and shot the Sentinel holding the little girl.
Max cursed under his breath, his hands trembling as he reloaded the shotgun. "Damn it, Leo. You owe me for this," he muttered before stepping out of cover. "Get out of here!" Max pushed Leo's head down, indicating that he should crouch down and crawl away. Max's knuckles whitened around the shotgun as he stepped out of cover. Fear twisted in his gut, but he'd be damned if he let Leo down.
"No…"