C5 Escape!

A sudden rush of footsteps shattered the last vestiges of silence, rousing the mutated creature that the previous alarms had failed to stir.

A massive mutated rat emerged from a heap of human debris, its ears perking up at the sound of human footsteps signaling a potential meal. But its fantasy of a feast was abruptly shattered by a shrill cat's yowl, sending shivers down its spine and forcing it to recoil into the safety of the rubble. "How odd," it mused, "I've never heard such a sound before. Why does it frighten me?"

Regaining its composure, the rat ventured its head out once more, the tantalizing scent of food drawing nearer.

Suddenly, a white blur darted through the pitch-black corridor, landing squarely on the rat's head before springing off, using it as a launchpad to continue its trajectory.

The unexpected apparition nearly scared the life out of the rat. As the white figure touched down, the rat could have sworn it saw the grim reaper perched atop its head, despite the reaper being no larger than a quarter of its size.

Caught off guard, the rat was oblivious to the two humans charging towards it. Before it could even turn around, a water pipe spun through the air like a thrown knife, impaling its left eye with deadly precision.

Moorer had no idea what he had struck; all he knew was that it posed a threat and had to be eliminated. With the same efficiency as he had dispatched the spider, he sprinted past, yanked the pipe from the rat's eye, and continued his escape.

"Don't stop! Keep running! Keep running!"

Payson was hot on Moorer's heels. Seeing that Moorer had impaled a creature, and fearing it might not be dead and could seek revenge, Payson swung his wrench with full force, delivering a crushing blow to the unfortunate rat's skull. The impact sent brain matter and blood splattering, filling the corridor with a nauseating stench. Luckily, the two men were moving quickly enough to avoid the horrific smell.

The poor rat died without ever catching a glimpse of the prey it had sought.

Why were the two men and the cat running, you ask? Just look at the horde of mutated insects swarming behind them—flying through the air, scuttling along the ground, climbing the walls. These grotesque, oversized mutants nearly choked the corridors with their presence. Countless glowing green eyes stared out, and myriad fanged mouths gaped open. It was no exaggeration to say that what lay behind them was a veritable, living hell on earth.

The mutated rat that Moorer and Payson had just dispatched did serve a purpose. Its blood attracted a swarm of insects, diverting their attention. Within a minute, the rat was reduced to nothing more than a skeleton and a leathery skin that was tough to stomach.

"Moorer! There's a door up ahead!" Meow Meow called out from the front.

"Get inside quick! Payson! Shut the door!"

Payson and Moorer had barely stepped through the door when Meow Meow leaped up, slamming it shut in unison with Payson, and they even locked it.

The room appeared to be a registration hall, but Moorer wasn't concerned with that detail. He began to move everything he could get his hands on—bookshelves, sofas, you name it—piling it all against the door to seal it off. Only after barricading the door did he sit down, leaning against the makeshift barricade to catch his breath.

Payson, being a spry sixteen-year-old, had more energy than Moorer, who was feeling his age. While Moorer and Meow Meow were still gasping for air on the floor, Payson was up and scanning the room, eventually pinpointing their location.

"We're close..." Payson murmured to himself after finding a map of Sanctuary 104 on the wall.

"Guys..." Payson called out, raising his voice, "We've only got two more rooms to go before we reach the shelter's main entrance."

Moorer was about to get up and respond when a dull thud against the door cut him off. His immediate reaction was to press against the door, but the increasing frequency of the thuds and the sound of splintering wood were stark reminders that the door wouldn't hold much longer.

"That kid!" Moorer was referring to Payson. "Quick, think of something to block the door, or we're all done for!"

Payson realized the gravity of the situation and was about to push a wooden table next to Moorer when something inside the table drew his attention.

With a slight smile, Payson pulled out the contents of the table—two canisters of concentrated insecticide spray.

"Have you lost your mind?" Meow Meow cried out in frustration. "Those bugs have evolved so much, how could insecticides possibly work on them?"

Moorer was giving Payson a look that bordered on disbelief, until he saw what Payson had found next.

These were two well-preserved nuclear lighters.

Outside, the relentless barrage of insects against the door showed no signs of stopping. Swarms of mutated cockroaches continued to fly in from the distance, slamming into the door at breakneck speeds, creating a cacophony of noise.

At last, the insects' tireless assault shattered the feeble wooden door. Regrettably, before they could swarm inside, twin jets of flame burst through the cracks in the barricade.

In a flash, the insects were consumed by the searing flames. Moorer quickly set the wooden furniture at his feet ablaze, effectively cutting off the pursuing horde of insects.

Without delay, Moorer and his companions hastened down the corridor, racing towards the shelter's entrance before the flames could spread.

The journey ahead proved far less challenging; with few monsters to contend with, the trio reached the shelter's gate with minimal effort.

Yet, upon encountering the massive, gear-shaped blast door, they came to a halt—it remained firmly shut. Oddly enough, despite the door's sealed state, Meow detected the scent of fresh air from outside. It relayed this information to Moorer and the others. While Moorer expressed his confusion, Payson seemed unconcerned; he was already examining the door's control panel, searching for a way to open it.

"Have you figured out how to open it?" Moorer inquired.

Payson shook his head. "No, it requires a five-digit code..." He gestured towards the nearby control center and suggested, "We might find the code in there."

Moorer nodded and headed into the control center. With nothing else to do, Meow stretched out on the ground.

Suddenly, the sound of frantic scuttling reached Meow's ears. It recognized the noise all too well, and the familiar scent that followed sent a shiver of terror through it.

Scrambling to Payson's feet, Meow's voice quivered as it spoke, "Big brother... Those things... They've caught up to us!"