Run, Hit and Run Again

Filea and Shiraku ran. "They're dopples. Beings that look like humans but eat humans.They're dangerous, a class three threat. They ran as fast as their legs could carry them, sneaking through cracks in walls, demolished buildings, and even abandoned mechs and machines that not even a crazy person would dare go near. But they didn't care.

Jumping into an abandoned shack, Filea peeked through a hole in the rusted metal wall. Shiraku crouched low beside him, listening for any sounds outside.

"Anything?" she whispered, her voice barely audible above the wind that whistled through the broken windows.

Filea squinted, his eyes scanning the rubble-strewn street. "Dopples. Four of them, like I said. Moving slowly... and as I pointed out previously," He pointed with his chin towards a group of figures shambling in the distance. "They're hungry."

They looked almost human in the dim light filtering through the dusty air, but something was unsettling about their jerky movements and the way their noses kept twitching.

"I wish they didn't invade this sector," Shiraku breathed, a shiver running down her spine. Her unusual senses felt a cold, hungry feeling radiating from them. It wasn't like the normal desperation of the random street dogs; this was way darker.

Filea nodded grimly. "We need to stay quiet. They have good hearing, and who knows what else. And once they get a scent, their speed increases tenfold." He glanced around the cramped shack.

It was filled with broken furniture and metal scraps, but there was a small, dark opening in the back wall. "Do you think you can squeeze through that?" he asked, pointing.

Shiraku nodded, her eyes already fixed on the hole. "Yeah, it's bigger than the pipes we usually hide in."

"Good. On my signal." Filea kept his gaze fixed on the Dopples outside, his mind already calculating their movements and the best way to get away without being seen. His understanding of how things – living or not – were put together helped him anticipate how the Dopples might behave.

The Dopples outside were getting closer, their strange, silent movements making the broken sector feel even more eerie.

"Now," Filea hissed, and they both scrambled towards the back of the shack.

The world exploded in a flurry of movement and snarls. No sooner had Filea hissed "Now" than the shack's entrance was filled with the Dopples as they had caught their scent. They moved with a speed that belied their shambling appearance from outside, their eyes glowing with a hungry light.

Filea, reacting on instinct, shoved Shiraku behind a crumbling pillar, the force of his small body sending her sprawling. He then launched himself at the nearest Dopple, his makeshift screwdriver flashing in the dim light. It pierced the creature's arm, but instead of blood, a dark, viscous fluid oozed out. The Dopple roared, its face contorting into a mask of rage, and it swatted Filea aside like a fly.

Shiraku, rushing to her feet, saw Filea crash into a pile of rusted metal, a sharp edge cutting his arm. Fear surged through her, something snapped in her. A Primal instinct kicked in. She grabbed a jagged piece of metal, its blade mirroring her crimson eyes that were once green.

Two Dopples advanced on her, their movements too fast, too predatory. She ducked under a wild swing, the force of it shattering the already weakened pillar. The shack groaned, threatening to collapse. Shiraku slashed upwards, catching one of the Dopples in the leg. It shrieked, a high-pitched, grating sound that made her ears ache.

Filea, ignoring the pain in his arm, jumped into the fray. He knew he couldn't win in a straight fight, not against those things, but if he let Shiraku die there, he wouldn't be able to survive. But he could use his knowledge, his understanding of how things worked. He coincidentally spotted a loose power cable sparking. An idea, reckless but desperate, formed in his mind.

He darted towards the cable, dodging snapping jaws and flailing limbs. A Dopple lunged, its claws scraping across his back. He cried out, but kept moving. He reached the cable and, with a grunt, ripped it free from the wall. Sparks flew, illuminating the chaotic scene in a blinding flash.

"Shiraku! Get down!" he yelled, swinging the sparking cable like a whip.

The Dopples recoiled, their unnatural flesh hissing and smoking where the electricity touched them. It wasn't enough to stop them, but it gave Filea and Shiraku a few seconds that they wouldn't waste.

Shiraku, seeing her chance, scrambled towards the hole in the back wall. It was their only way out. She squeezed through, the rough edges of the metal tearing at her clothes.

Filea, still wielding the sparking cable, fought a desperate rearguard action. He lashed out, buying Shiraku time, but the Dopples were relentless. He felt a sharp pain in his leg as one of them finally managed to land a blow. He stumbled, his vision blurring.

"Go!" he gasped, his voice weak. "I'll be right behind you!"

With a final, desperate surge of energy, Filea sent a wave of electricity through the Dopples, creating a momentary barrier. Then, he turned and scrambled after Shiraku, his leg "screaming" in protest.

The shack, weakened and battered after the amount of violence that occurred, began to collapse around them, the roar of falling metal echoing the Dopples' enraged cries.