The Brave Choice

There were no written rules in the bunker. No government orders.

The military controlled the doors, the food, the punishments—but everything else?

It ran on survival and trade.

No one cared if you lived or died. The weak were discarded, the strong took what they wanted, and the desperate clung to whatever scraps they could bargain for.

Ava had survived three months in this hellhole, barely scraping by. But now?

Surviving wasn't enough anymore.

Level One – Shifters.

The strongest. The rulers. They didn't do grunt work, didn't scavenge unless they wanted to. They took what they needed.

Ava had seen them in the upper corridors—broad shoulders, sharp eyes, always well-fed. They didn't need to fight for scraps. Everyone just gave them what they wanted.

Level Two – Mutants.

The useful. They healed fast, making them valuable for expeditions into the outside world. If a group needed someone expendable but not fragile, a Mutant was the best choice.

Level Three – Normals.

The workers. The forgotten. The ones who sorted scrap, cleaned, cooked, scavenged—and died the most.

Ava was a Normal. Useless. Disposable.

Until now.

She sat alone in the cavern, knees pulled to her chest, staring at the flickering interface only she could see.

[BLUEPRINT SYSTEM – ACTIVE]

[AVAILABLE SCHEMATICS: 3]

[RESOURCE ANALYSIS: ON]

Her system buzzed softly in the back of her mind. Three months of hiding it, letting it simmer beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment.

This was the moment.

The bunker didn't reward silence. It rewarded bravery.

You wanted food? Warmth? A bed? You didn't beg for it.

You earned it.

Ava exhaled slowly, then stood up, her legs steady for the first time in weeks. She was done hiding.

"I want to join a team."

The words echoed through the workroom like a gunshot.

Every head turned.

Ava stood at the center of the room, fists clenched, shoulders squared.

Lily Feng, soft-spoken and sharp-eyed, raised an eyebrow from the corner. Vanessa Liu, the former queen bee, leaned back with an amused smirk. Daniel Wu, built like a tank, snorted under his breath. And Jessica Tang—always smiling that fake-sweet smile—tilted her head, intrigued.

"You?" Daniel scoffed, crossing his arms. "Since when did you grow a spine?"

Ava's voice didn't waver. "Since I realized rotting away in this place isn't an option."

Vanessa chuckled softly. "Cute. But teams aren't charity cases, Ava. You don't just ask to join. You bring something to the table."

"I do," Ava shot back. "You just don't know it yet."

Jessica's eyes gleamed. "Bold. I like it."

Lily stayed quiet, but Ava caught the faintest flicker of interest in her expression.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "This isn't high school, Tang. Liking someone doesn't keep them alive."

Vanessa's smile turned razor-sharp. "Alright, Ava. Prove it."

Ava's pulse pounded in her ears. This is it.

"Give me a week," she said firmly. "One week on your team. I'll prove I'm worth it."

Daniel barked a laugh. "And if you're not?"

Ava didn't blink. "Then you kick me out. No hard feelings."

Lily finally spoke, her voice soft but steady. "No one gets a second chance here, Ava. If we kick you out, you won't survive."

"I know," Ava said, her voice steady despite the weight of what she was risking.

Silence stretched through the room like a drawn blade.

Then Vanessa smirked. "One week's too long."

Ava blinked. "What?"

Daniel pushed off the wall, cracking his knuckles. "She means we don't wait."

Vanessa's smile sharpened. "If you want in, you prove it today. We're going topside."

Ava's stomach clenched. Today? She wasn't ready. She had no plan, no weapons, no idea what waited above. But backing down now meant death.

"I'm in," she said before her fear could catch up.

Jessica clapped her hands, too cheerful. "This is going to be fun."

"Fun," Daniel muttered, already heading for the door. "Sure."

Lily stood gracefully, giving Ava a single, unreadable glance before following him out.

"Better keep up," Vanessa whispered as she passed, her voice low and dangerous.

Ava exhaled shakily, feeling her heartbeat thunder in her chest.

The two Shifters, silent but watchful, fell in line behind the group.

No one waited for her.

Ava forced her legs to move, trailing after them.

The corridor to the surface was cold and damp, the dim overhead lights flickering as Ava followed the team in silence. Her pulse pounded in her ears, louder than the echo of their footsteps.

No one spoke.

Not until they reached the final door—thick steel, covered in scratches from... something that had tried to claw its way in.

Daniel chuckled under his breath, glancing at Ava. "You sure about this, newbie?"

"Don't give her a choice," Vanessa said lightly, leaning against the wall with a smirk.

The steel door groaned as it slid open, revealing a world Ava barely recognized. The air outside was sharp and biting, filled with the scent of ash and rot. Crumbled buildings loomed like broken teeth against a gray sky, and the silence was so complete it felt unnatural.

Vanessa stepped out first, her boots crunching softly on debris. "Welcome to paradise."

Daniel followed, cracking his neck. "Stay close. Or don't. Up to you."

Lily moved like a shadow, quiet and deliberate, her eyes scanning the ruins.

Jessica, too sweetly, whispered to Ava, "Hope you run fast."

The two Shifters, silent and watchful, took their positions at the back.

Ava stepped out last, blinking against the harsh light. She barely had time to process the desolation around her when Vanessa turned, smiling wickedly.

"Change of plans," Vanessa said, pulling out a flare gun. "We need to see what you're made of."

Before Ava could react, Vanessa fired the flare high into the sky. A red streak cut through the air, a signal as bright as blood.

Daniel grinned. "Bait's been set."

"Wait—what?" Ava's voice cracked.

Jessica giggled. "If you make it out alive, you're in."

Ava's chest tightened. "You're using me as bait?"

"Relax," Vanessa purred. "If you survive, you get your cozy little corner with a blanket and everything."

"And if I don't?"

Vanessa's smile was razor-sharp. "Then we're not out of a blanket, are we?"

A distant snarl echoed through the ruins, low and guttural.

Something was coming.

The team was already backing away, disappearing into the shadows of the rubble.

"Good luck, Ava," Jessica whispered, her voice fading as she vanished into the darkness.

Ava's breath hitched. She was alone.

Another snarl, closer this time.

Run.

Her legs moved before her mind caught up, sprinting through the wreckage as something behind her let out a bone-chilling roar.

If she wanted to live, she had to survive them.

If she wanted to join the team, she had to survive this.

Ava threw herself to the side as the creature's claws slashed through the air where she had stood a heartbeat ago. She hit the ground hard, the impact jarring every bone in her body, but she didn't stop. She couldn't.

The creature snarled behind her, low and guttural, its breath hot and rancid.

Move, move, move.

She pushed off the ground, legs burning as she sprinted down a narrow alley littered with debris. She could hear its footsteps—heavy, relentless, gaining on her.

A rusted, overturned car loomed ahead. Without thinking, Ava vaulted over it, landing awkwardly on the other side. She ducked low, pressing herself into the shadows, hands trembling as she tried to silence her breathing.

The creature slowed, its growl vibrating through the air. She could hear it sniffing, searching.

Ava bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.

Then—

A sharp, metallic clink echoed behind her.

The creature froze.

Ava's eyes widened. A trap.

Before she could react, the ground beneath her gave way.

Ava's scream barely escaped her throat as she plummeted into the darkness below. She hit the bottom with a bone-rattling thud, gasping as dust and debris settled around her. Pain shot through her shoulder, but she forced herself upright, heart pounding like a drum.

She was in some kind of pit—deep, narrow, and surrounded by jagged concrete walls.

Above her, the creature snarled, pacing along the edge. Its glowing eyes locked onto her, claws scraping against the crumbling edge as it considered its next move.

Ava's breath quickened. Trapped. No way out.

The system flickered faintly in her vision.

[ANALYZING ENVIRONMENT…]

[SCRAP METAL DETECTED. BLUEPRINT OPTIONS AVAILABLE.]

Her eyes darted around the pit, spotting shards of rusted metal, broken pipes, and a half-buried length of cable.

The creature growled, muscles tensing.

It was going to jump down after her.

Ava clenched her fists, mind racing.

If I don't build something now, I'm dead.

Her fingers trembled, but she reached for the nearest piece of metal, her system whispering in her mind.

No time. Build or die.