Silent city

Jiro took the little girl's tiny gloved hand as they carefully walked over broken glass out of the monster tunnels. He was so glad to find her alive down here! Everything topside had gotten overrun with weird diseases and beasts. Was she all alone?

"Don't worry mister," she said like reading his mind. "My mom works down here trying to make cures before everything happened. She put me in an emergency hidey room. But then I got lonely and went to find her when loud noises stopped."

Jiro nodded, heart squeezing. He guessed grownups hid the child and then got attacked by rampaging lab creatures before they came back. Leaving the brave kid to wander around dark ruins seeking family after days or weeks. It made him want to cry and rage. Little ones deserved soft beds and cartoons up above, not... this horror pit.

They reached a big round security door marked CHECKPOINT 7D. Jiro's soldier eyes lit up. These zones held gear for fighting if he recalled right. Worth peeking to find more supplies before heading topside through vents. He waved the kid back and pried metal doors open with a long steel rod. Lights flickered alive showing a protected guard station inside!

"Jackpot darling!" He beamed. She clapped happily as Jiro smashed cabinet locks. Rations, med kits, flash bombs, and motor oil filled a backpack. Behind the desk, he found the real prizes - guns with extra bullets lined neatly in racks. And hanging by the exit, two full armor suits waited like gifts! Jiro laughed in relief. Now THEY had real monster-hunting equipment!

The little one floated in an oversized helmet comically while Jiro strapped arm guards carefully. These might stop bites! They loaded the rest of the precious weapons and ammo in her small cart thing, then locked the special door behind them. Can't let baddies raid such goods later. Jiro rigged a grenade trap with tripwires just in case.

Now full battle rangers, the duo felt MUCH braver climbing upstairs following little one's map. She said it showed easier ducts and pipes around the worst hot zones. Jiro peeked at the wrist display amazed by her smart path. How did such tiny hands master survival wisdom already? He squeezed her glove, promising not to lose each other.

Finally, they reached a small vent labeled MAINTENANCE ACCESS 14F. Near-surface levels! Jiro squeezed out first, sweeping the dim hallway beyond with his rifle ready...all clear. Behind old offices and cubicles sat a faded emergency exit sign! They shuffled closer on creaky floors when SK! Sparks flew as metal claws tore open the ceiling before them!

A pale monster twice Jiro's size dropped down blocking their escape. Rotten skin hung off its huge muscles and its giant metal scorpion tail arched to strike. Crazy zombie eyes locked on the pair and it rumbled drooly hunger. Loud stomps followed circling behind them. They spun to see ANOTHER night freak, more skeletal with a spiked metal club for an arm and milky eyes. A trap!

Jiro fired off shots driving the clawed leader back while trying to watch the skinny basher too. It swung wild blows crushing desks as they retreated. The little lady threw a flash bomb blinding the pale brute. "Run between 'em!" Jiro shouted. In the opening, they zipped past towards the battered exit door while beasts raged smashing clutter.

The sunset sky peeked through the crack they wrenched wider together. The freaks thundered closer, but escape shone ahead! Jiro smelled mildew and marshlands instead of death down below now. They squeezed out onto mushy dirt followed by massive bodies wedging in stuck behind somehow. The duo crashed in wrecked lake reeds breathing deep real air. No monsters chased under purple skies. His little partner hugged Jiro happily seeing safe nature again!

After happy cries, they slowly walked through dry grass towards a crumbling overpass in the distance. Jiro recalled armed town barricades lie that direction from briefings if structures endured still. Wetlands stretched behind concealing the buried lab compound. Hauntingly quiet after such mortal panic minutes ago...

Animal bones and trash littered the cracked highway they crept under. Broken cars choked roads leading to deserted skyscrapers ahead. Jiro's heart sank realizing the abandoned city should be on lockdown, not dead void. Creeping carefully between rusty vehicles, his sharp eyes noticed weird details. Smashed chain fences... bullets in walls... blood but no bodies. Signs of panicked people and attacks recently. But no movement anywhere or lights in towering buildings ahead. An eerie feeling prickled Jiro's seasoned neck. Like a ghost town but secrets somehow still lurked there.

A sniffle next to him broke the unnatural silence. His tiny partner trembled seeing empty playgrounds and schools while crossing into the outskirts. Jiro hugged her, unsure what to say. How can you comfort children already accustomed to horror-filled tombs for play? He barely stopped his tears eyeing her stoic strength. If innocents like this endured hell with bravery, then fearful men hiding in guarded halls surely couldn't complain. They must push forward.

Stone banks and moldy diners lined the trash-filled street they crept down. Guarded military trucks half-loaded with metal boxes and supplies sat abandoned nearby. The massive city shelters should be around somewhere unless overrun. Jiro gulped hard moving towards echoes of his heartbeat. Each shadow held teeth...

The girl hugged his leg peering around when PEW PEW! Gunshots popped, making them scramble behind debris! Jiro snatched his rifle, eyes darting for targets. Screams and bullets came from just ahead! Crouching low, they moved along buildings while chaos rang out. At an alley corner, they saw the gunfight - soldiers in bulky gear fired from behind trucks at a courthouse. Inky gunk sprayed back melting one who screamed falling. The shooter is hidden, but bellowing giant rage through smashed columns!

More troops dropped dead hit by the acidic globs from windows near the top floor. A defiance roar and gorilla fists pounding the damaged overhang drew Jiro’s eye. A water tower-sized freak covered in bony spikes held up glowing pods that fed sizzling venom to its triple-mawed head. The trap-jaw face let loose another spray volley, sending the platoon into a terrified retreat behind riot vans!

A huge pincer claw shot out snagging two in bone-crushing grasp. Their wailing made Jiro zap the demon’s elbow with bullets, cracking its carapace. It dropped prey turning towards them instead with banana-sized eyeballs swirling wetly to see new meat. Jiro fired off-hand grenades as they dashed deeper down filthy alleys. A thundering bellow meant their position was made!

The little lady led Jiro left and right through slimy urban crevasses while heavy steps stomped behind smashing walls. They swung through half-open cellar doors, boots crunching stuff best left unknown. The maze of abandoned rooms and access tunnels should throw off their freakish stalker. But its snuffling nose sounded dangerously close behind in the dripping dark. They had to get above somehow!

Ahead loomed an old apartment fire escape left from some bygone age. The duo scrambled upwards on creaky ladders that faded disturbingly into shadows near the top floors. But roof access meant cover to hide maybe! They climbed gasping but smiling at each landing platform squeeze. Just a bit more ascent!

Below in gloom, a four-fingered crusher claw smashed through boarded-up stairs. Impossible! Lothar ignored all paths to pursue raw meat! The monster roared foam up the building's throat seeing ankle distance, not even using the rusted ladders. Half its 270-foot height reached already as Jiro and lady leaped from rust banisters ahead of each demolition swipe.

They rolled onto the final icy roof ledge and its pointless elderly door. Nearly 20 stories up now with lactic acid jelly legs! But the spiky horror roared stories below, not even bothered by the dizzy heights. Only meat and murder filled its crustacean thoughts. They shrieked pitifully as the ledge cracked under their weight from age and beast fist pounding...

Jiro scanned the snowy roof frantically through tears. Mostly rusted vents and broken air units. Wait - a heavy utility hook dangled against the far wall edge somehow still sturdy! Their sole hope as cracking cement meant feeding time neared! Jiro blinked sweat from his eyes and made a veteran field decision not even comprehended...

Securing his rifle strap, he cradled the scared girl in both arms with a stagger. Squinting against the fatal drop yawning below, Jiro ran the last possible steps and LEAPT towards the hanging metal claw swaying in the wind!! Boots scraped open air as the battered ledge collapsed into powder behind his faith jump! One hand shot outward while cradling all his weight and future prize barely snagging the creaky steel hook...

They spinning perilously with choked breath ducts and wheeling vision but still CLUNG alive! Jiro's thick glove squeezed tight to the cold lifeline as legs bicycled futile against dizzying heights. Grunting gorilla roars below quantified their fate if weak fingers slipped. Dangling fear giggled hysterically at muscles shredding slowly from thousand-year-old iron right above slobbering jaws. He couldn't hold forever...

The frail girl wrapped like an octopus suddenly shimmied up Jiro's neck, reaching tinier paws for the shaken hook cable. She clicked carabiners and clips from her suit onto the links with all her dangling might. When two anchors set, Jiro sobbed laughter at the brilliance. Guard kit tools might just save lives today!

They began pulling upwards together to firm beams angled nearby against the building top. Blood rushed through Jiro's ears as the fiend below smashed concrete searching for its pesky meal tease... but escape took priority! Hand over knee over gut they crawled onto angled girders. On the protected ledge both gasped air again.

Jiro peered up at his precious battle angel beaming behind the foggy mask. Some goodness remained in alien worlds. But bone claws scraping metal kept reality pierced harshly. They rose together dashes towards the stranded roof doorway ahead. Jiro fired suppression rounds without a daring glance backward. "Go baby go!" He screamed.

They fell inside a dusty stairwell and slammed the steel door. Thudding steps and outrage pulsed below through soles while the demon bellowed terrible promises. It bellowed for blood and the very building foundations. But Jiro and the girl hugged trembling and unharmed somehow. The dark city now knew their survival etched deeper against its silent face. Perhaps a dent within despair.