City J part 2

The Horde Containment Squad, also known as "HCS," was an elite army unit created specifically to deal with the portals that emerged after Zero Day. This squad was the only thing standing between complete destruction and the last chance for survival. The Containment Unit was the final bastion between humanity and the chaos brought by the portals. Every time one of them opened, the creatures that emerged from the other side brought death and destruction. The Unit not only fought the hordes, but its main mission was to seal or contain these portals, as destroying them directly wasn't always possible.

In the post-apocalyptic chaos, the military hierarchy had been reorganized to face the portal threat. The Containment Unit was divided into different squads, each with its own strategies and approaches. One of them was led by Edward Kane, a cold, calculating, and ruthless officer who prioritized mission success at any cost. Known for both his brutality and efficiency, this group, also nicknamed "The Sentinels," had been trained to withstand the brutality of the invasion and find ways to seal the portals, no matter the cost.

Edward had earned a fearsome reputation in the early days of the invasion. He was an officer with a straightforward approach: numbers and efficiency were all that mattered to him. Under his command, containment missions were executed with ruthless precision, sacrificing lives when necessary for the success of the operation. He didn't care about morale or the emotional consequences of his decisions; his only goal was to contain the threat, no matter the human cost.

Despite his cruelty, Edward was successful. Where other squads failed, he managed to keep the portals under control. This earned him the trust of the high command, though many considered him a difficult leader to follow. But his approach left no room for compassion; to him, lives were expendable resources.

The portal in City J was one of the largest ever recorded, and no one was prepared for what would come out of it. The Scavengers crossed the breach between dimensions like an unstoppable wave, devouring everything in their path. There was no warning, no time to evacuate. Thousands of lives were lost within hours. Only the strongest, the luckiest, or those who had no other choice managed to survive.

Edward Kane arrived in City J at the head of a special division with a clear objective: contain the portal. To him, the lives that would be lost in the process were inevitable collateral damage. His approach was simple:

He sent dozens of soldiers to contain the creatures' advance, knowing that many would not return, but that it was the only way to buy time to prepare to seal the portal. The soldiers' screams echoed through the communications systems as chaos filled the streets of City J.

—The objective is to contain the portal at all costs, —ordered Edward through the communication system, his voice cold and emotionless—. If we lose half, the other half must keep fighting.

The squads under his command fought fiercely, but the cost was devastating. Casualties were inevitable, and Edward did not hesitate to sacrifice more soldiers to keep the creatures at bay. To him, containing the portal was all that mattered.

Cecilia's Elite Squadron

Another unit, the Crimson Wolves, was led by Cecilia, who commanded an elite squad within the same Containment Unit, but her approach was different. Her squad, made up of the best genetically modified soldiers, was not only designed to contain portals but also to withstand extreme situations and reclaim territories controlled by the hordes.

While Edward sent dozens of regular soldiers to contain a single portal at the cost of many lives, Cecilia had a more strategic and humane vision. Her team was small but extremely lethal. For this reason, her tactics focused on precise missions with few soldiers but flawless execution.

This unit had formed only two years earlier, so they did not participate in the containment of the City J portal. But they participated in the eradication of the remaining Scavengers in the city after the portal had been sealed to gain experience.

Two days after the portal collapse in City J, Edward's squad had managed to seal the portal, but the city was still a battlefield. The Scavengers had mostly been eradicated, but the damage was severe. Meanwhile, Marcus, Carlos, and Alicia were in a different part of the city, trying to survive.

Marcus, Carlos, and Alicia had taken refuge in a partially intact building, far from the main combat zones. The city's devastation was evident on every corner. The walls of their refuge were marked with claw marks and bloodstains, and the distant sound of explosions and chaos was constant.

While the Scavengers continued to roam the city, Marcus tried to keep everyone safe with the limited resources they had found, while Carlos and Alicia searched for supplies and stayed alert for any unexpected attacks. The situation was desperate, and the threat was always present.

The wind howled through the ruins of City J. Destruction had devoured everything, leaving only broken structures and echoes of a past life. In the midst of that desolate landscape, a group of children moved among the rubble, led by three figures who, despite their youth, had already assumed the role of protectors and guides.

Marcus led the way, wearing a worn-out baseball cap he had found in an abandoned store. His face was hardened, not by age, but by the life he had been forced to live. He had grown up on the streets before reaching the orphanage, and his manners reflected that. As he walked, he muttered curses under his breath whenever something didn't go as planned. But the orphans knew that those words weren't filled with venom, only frustration.

—Hey, hurry up! —Marcus shouted, his tone sharp, almost bordering on rude—. We don't have all day. If you want to eat, you'd better get moving, got it?

One of the younger children stumbled over a piece of concrete and fell, scraping his knees. Marcus took a step toward him, but before he could say anything, Alicia, with her quick and quiet pace, was already helping the child back to his feet. She was the quietest of the group, but her determination spoke louder than any words. Her serious, calculated gaze swept over the horizon as she made sure everyone was okay.

—Here, put this on —she said to the boy, handing him a piece of cloth to cover the wound. Her voice was soft, almost shy, but there was something in her actions that exuded confidence—. Don't worry. We're almost there.

Alicia stayed with the boy for a moment, comforting him, then stood up. Though her expression was calm, the orphanage folks knew that when things got tough, Alicia didn't hesitate to act. She was as brave as she was reserved, and although she didn't like being the center of attention, everyone knew they could count on her in difficult moments.

Carlos, on the other hand, walked a few steps behind Marcus, trying to keep the mood light. He was the group's joker, though he knew when to set the jokes aside to take on his responsibility. With his natural charm, he approached the fallen boy and ruffled his hair, trying to make him smile.

—Hey, champ —Carlos said with a grin—. Don't let that piece of concrete get the better of you. It was just a lucky hit, huh?

The younger kids chuckled a bit at the joke, and that was exactly what Carlos was aiming for. Despite the misery surrounding them, he always tried to keep the group's spirits up, especially when things got darker than usual.

—Marcus, man, if you keep yelling like that, you're gonna scare away even the monsters —said Carlos, giving him a playful tap on the shoulder.

—Oh, shut up, idiot! —Marcus snapped, though there was a small smirk on his lips that betrayed he didn't mean it—. If I wasn't yelling, none of you would move your lazy asses.

Despite his harsh words, Marcus couldn't help but feel a deep responsibility for the orphans. He had known them for years, first as just another street kid, then as someone who had gradually come to care for them as his own family. Even when City J collapsed, Marcus had done everything he could to keep them safe. And now, as they roamed the ruins looking for supplies, he continued to care for them in the only way he knew how: with firmness and a dirty mouth.

The group finally reached what had been a grocery store. The windows were broken, and most of the shelves were empty, looted months ago. But Marcus knew they had to search the corners, in places where others hadn't bothered to look. While he and Alicia went inside to inspect, Carlos stayed outside, keeping watch over the younger ones.

—Hey, how much do you think we have left? —Alicia asked as she moved some empty boxes.

—I don't know —Marcus muttered, frowning as he checked the place—. Maybe a few more days if we're lucky. Either way, we need to move soon. I don't like this area.

Alicia nodded silently but made no further comments. She knew Marcus was right. They had stayed too long in the ruins of City J, and it was only a matter of time before something or someone found them. Sometimes it was scavengers, other times it was worse. Survival wasn't guaranteed, but all they had was looking out for each other.

Outside, Carlos played with the younger kids, trying to distract them from hunger and fear. The youngest clung to him like a big brother, trusting that as long as he was around, everything would be okay.

—You know, when we get out of here —Carlos said, not addressing anyone in particular—, we're gonna have to give these kids something more than empty promises. We need to find a real place, something safer.

Marcus came out of the store with a couple of cans in his hands, rolling his eyes.

—I know —he growled—. But until then, they better follow our orders. We don't need heroes or dreams right now. We just need to survive.

Carlos looked at him and then smiled, though without the usual sparkle in his eyes.

—Sometimes I wonder if you have any hope left inside, Marcus.

—I'd tell you to shove it up your… —Marcus started, but Alicia interrupted him.

—Enough with the nonsense. We have what we need —she said firmly—. It's time to head back before it gets dark.

As the group moved again, the constant tension and the need to always stay alert kept them alive. Marcus, Alicia, and Carlos, despite their differences, had taken on leadership of these orphans because, deep down, they knew that if they didn't look after each other, no one would.

City J was just a shadow of what it once was, but for them, the true home was in the people who stayed united, fighting to survive day after day in a world that no longer offered easy hope.

Marcus was the oldest of the three and undoubtedly the one most hardened by life on the streets. Before reaching the orphanage, he had already survived in the slums of City J, learning to steal, fight, and fend for himself from a very young age. He wasn't the kind of leader who spoke softly or offered comforting words. In his mind, survival was all that mattered, and that was his main focus.

—Stop complaining —Marcus growled, dragging an old metal door he had found among the rubble to reinforce the improvised shelter where they were hiding—. If you want to keep breathing tomorrow, you better learn to move quickly and quietly.

The children watched him in silence. They knew Marcus wasn't cruel, but he wasn't easy to deal with either. Those who knew him from the orphanage understood that his harsh words hid genuine concern for their well-being, but the younger ones couldn't help but feel afraid of his gruff tone and direct manner.

Alicia, on the other hand, always acted as a buffer between Marcus and the others. Though she was quiet and reserved, her mind was constantly working, thinking of strategies and solutions. She had been the one to organize rations with the little they found, ensuring everyone ate, even if only small portions. She knew they couldn't survive much longer without finding a stable source of food or clean water, but she also understood that Marcus was under enormous pressure, trying to protect them all.

—You should go easier on them —Alicia said quietly to Marcus as they both set up the door to block the shelter's entrance—. They're just kids. They're scared.

—So am I —Marcus responded with brutal honesty—. But if they don't learn fast, they'll be dead. We can't afford to be soft right now.

Alicia remained silent. She knew Marcus was right, but that didn't make it any easier.

Carlos, on the other hand, was the perfect balance between Marcus and Alicia. Despite his friendly and humorous nature, he always took responsibility when the situation demanded it. He was in charge of keeping spirits high, making the younger kids laugh, and distracting them from the terror around them.

—You know why the chicken crossed the road during the apocalypse? —Carlos asked one of the smaller kids, who looked at him with wide, frightened eyes.

—Why? —the child asked, unsure.

—To escape the bugs, of course —Carlos replied, pretending to be serious before laughing.

The child smiled weakly, but the joke served its purpose. Even in the darkest moments, Carlos always found a way to make the kids feel a little safer.

—Marcus may seem grumpy, but he's really like a big bear —Carlos whispered to one of the kids as the group settled in the shelter—. He'll always take care of us, even if he growls all the time.

Despite the constant tension, Carlos maintained a positive attitude, making him a crucial part of the group's morale. The children adored him, and his ability to relieve emotional pressure was invaluable.

The days passed with a strict routine. Marcus and Alicia organized small daily expeditions to the rubble of City J, searching for supplies while Carlos stayed with the children, teaching them to stay alert and look after one another.

The improvised shelter they had found, a half-collapsed old basement, provided some protection from the elements, and so far, it had allowed them to remain hidden from any patrols or creatures that wandered nearby. However, the food supply was scarce, and although Alicia had found a source of dirty water that could be filtered for drinking, they knew they couldn't survive there for much longer.

The atmosphere in the shelter was tense. The younger ones barely spoke, and the older ones struggled to maintain their composure, though the fear was palpable in all of them. Marcus, despite his tough attitude, spent long hours awake, watching the entrance and looking for ways to improve the defenses.

One night, after a particularly difficult expedition where they had barely found anything useful, Marcus, Alicia, and Carlos sat in silence around a small fire they had lit with bits of old wood.

—This can't last much longer —Marcus said, breaking the silence—. We need to find a way out or something that gives us an advantage.

—There are rumors that the containment squad has operational bases on the outskirts of the city —Alicia commented, without lifting her eyes from the small map she had improvised with scraps of paper and charcoal—. We could try to reach one of those bases. Maybe they'll take us in, or at least we could find temporary refuge.

—And if they don't take us in? —Carlos asked—. What if they see us as a burden?

Marcus growled.

—If they don't take us in, we'll make them understand we're not a burden. We can fight, we can work. If they reject us, we'll keep looking. But staying here waiting is not an option.

The group nodded, knowing Marcus was right. While the shelter had given them a brief respite, they couldn't trust that it would keep them safe indefinitely.

As the night fell, the three gathered in their makeshift shelter, trying to stay as calm as possible while they planned their next move. They knew they had to find a way to escape the city before the Scavengers found them, but the danger and desperation made every step they took harder.

That night, while the children slept, Marcus, Alicia, and Carlos came together to make a decision. They knew they would soon have to take a risk and search for a way out of the city or face the reality that hunger and isolation would consume them.

—We can do this —Carlos said—. If we plan it well, we can get out without being detected. We just need to coordinate the exits properly and make sure we don't take the younger ones until we're sure it's safe.

Alicia looked at the map, calculating the best route to the possible base of the Containment Squad.

—There's a path through the sewers. It's dangerous, but it will get us out of the city without drawing attention —she said, pointing to a line on the map—. We could try to leave at dawn. I've seen that's when those things are less active.

Marcus nodded. He knew it was a risky gamble, but they had no other choice.