In the midst of chaos, Evan managed to unbuckle his safety belts, grabbed Solaris, and leaped from the pit. He held her tightly as they fell.
Blaaagggg!!
Evan and Solaris landed on a black car that had been abandoned in a hurry. The car's roof crumpled, and glass shattered everywhere.
Solaris lifted her head and coughed up blood while still in Evan's arms.
"Cough! Cough!"
With squinting eyes, she noticed Evan beneath her, rich blood trickling from his forehead, likely from the impact of their fall.
Realizing their position, Solaris quickly got off him, inadvertently pressing her knee against his injured arm.
"Urgghh..." Evan groaned in pain, clutching his broken arm.
"Shit! Sorry!" Solaris quickly apologized. She reached out to help him when she suddenly noticed a monster's hand attacking them from behind, launching a surprise attack.
Booogggssshhh!!
Evan was pushed and knocked away from her. He fell off the car roof, groaning in pain once more.
Solaris had no time to apologize. She quickly rolled into the dust, seeking refuge behind a nearby wrecked car. Gunfire erupted, and the car she hid behind was riddled with bullets.
When the shooting paused, Solaris took advantage of the brief moment while the gun was reloading and kicked the car door open. Just as she was about to move, gunshots rang out again above her.
"Fuck!"
A bullet struck her right leg, causing blood to flow from the wound. Solaris had no choice but to keep moving or else she'll be killed by the mad scientist in no time.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Run away, bitch!! Run!!!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, gunfire erupted towards him, and the mad scientist ducked in fear, nearly getting hit.
"Who the hell dared to shoot at me!" he shouted angrily. As soon as he spotted his nephew behind the car, Dr. Hopkin fired at him.
"You idiot! I should have killed you back then! You ungrateful bastard!"
Bang! Bang!
Solaris saw this as an opportunity and dragged her injured body, using the car door for cover.
Dr. Hopkin noticed her attempt to escape and immediately aimed at her.
"Die, Die! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Run for your lives! I'll kll you all useless and filthy, lowly lives!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA" he cackled maniacally, showering them both with bullets.
"Argh!!" Solaris gripped a gun tightly in both hands. Fuck this.
Solaris, unfortunately grazed by another bullet in her left arm, gritted her teeth in frustration.
"Bruno, you bastard. If you don't show up in the next five minutes, I won't let that crazy scientist kill you. I'll be the one who'll kill you instead!" she shouted, firing in Dr. Hopkin's direction.
At the same time, the monster demolished a building and hurled it at the group of mecha soldiers who were assisting civilians in their evacuation.
BOOOGGGSSSHHHH!! BLAAAMMMMM!!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One of the soldiers was crushed by the monster's foot. His head exploding and blood and brain splattering on the ground.
"AAAAHHHHHHHH!!" a child screamed in terror.
The monster turned its attention towards the child, who was about to be seized when a woman suddenly grabbed him and ran, pulling him away from danger.
"Quick, Evan! Get Solaris out of here!" Cassiopeia shouted as she dodged the monster's attack.
Evan nodded and quickly sprang into action, rushing towards Solaris. He lifted her onto his back, and sprinting away as fast as he could.
Cassiopeia, glancing in their direction, managed a faint smile before continuing to run. Just as she was about to turn onto a side street, the monster suddenly smashed the pavement.
The force of the impact knocked Cassiopeia off balance, causing her to fall to the ground.
"Ughhhh!!"
When Cassiopeia opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the monstrous face looming over her.
"AHHHHHHHHH!!"
Cassiopeia screamed in fear, clutching the child in her arms as she stared wide-eyed at the grotesque creature. She watched as the monster raised its hands, preparing to strike. In a panic, Cassiopeia squeezed her eyes shut and held the child even tighter.
Just then,
BOOOGGGSSHHHHH!!
"GRRRRUUUUUUUU!!"
The monster let out a painful groan and stumbled backward, struggling to maintain its balance.
Cassiopeia opened her eyes and noticed twenty mecha warships soaring through the sky.
"Who the hell dares to hurt my girl?!" Bruno shouted angrily, standing tall on top of the mechaship, looking both proud and handsome.
"Bruno!!" Cassiopeia called out.
Bruno smiled at her and winked. "Don't worry, my dear. I'm here. You're safe now," he reassured her.
Solaris, who had been placed in a secure spot by Evan, rolled her eyes at the scene. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Bruno, do it now!"
Irritated by her interruption, Bruno clicked his tongue. "Tsk, fine, fine! You always ruin the mood."
Taking charge, Bruno directed the soldiers to lift a massive cage and position it above the monster.
"Everyone, get into position! Launch the attack now!" he commanded.
The mecha warships moved in, surrounding the monster. The mecha soldiers operated the warships while some members of Big Dippers prepared the enormous chains. Dr. Hopkin, witnessing the chaos, felt a surge of fear and panic.
On the count of three, chains shot out from various directions and wrapped tightly around the monster, restricting its movement.
"GGGRRURUUUUUUUU!!!"
The monster let out a deafening scream, causing those below to loosen their grip on the chains and cover their ears. Some people's ears bled from the noise, while others fell from the warships, plummeting to their deaths.
Bruno, clutching his bleeding ear, quickly ordered the mecha soldiers to drop the cage. "Drop the cage!!!"
In pain and struggle, the soldiers and Big Dipper members worked together to release the cage.
The cage plummeted from the sky, striking the monster's head and causing it to cry out in agony. The impact caused Dr. Hopkin to lose his grip and fall, colliding with the monster's spiky body. His protective coat was torn, and worms and maggots began to crawl toward him, feasting on his flesh.
"Ahhhhh!!!! Ahhhhh!! Help!! Hel—"
In an instant, maggots invaded his mouth, consuming his insides. Blood filled his mouth as he coughed up a gruesome mixture of blood, maggots, and a sticky green liquid.
The monster was still reeling when hundreds of laser bullets and bombs were unleashed upon it.
Weakened, the monester couldn't defend itself, and the bullets easily penetrated its flesh.
GRRRUUUUUHHHHH!!
"It's working! Keep firing!" Solaris shouted, grabbing a fission bomb from Evan's hand. She dropped to the ground and aimed the fission bomb gun at the monster's mouth.
With one eye shut, Solaris took aim with the fission gun and murmured, "That's right. Don't move. Stay right there."
Baaaammmm!!!
The creature's mouth exploded!
GRRRRUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHH!!
"Again!"
Baaammmmm!!!
Solaris continued to focus on the monster's mouth until the flesh surrounding it shattered into fragments, revealing a small opening.
"Release the chains, now!" Solaris shouted to the others, and they quickly complied.
"Bruno!"
"I got it!"
Bruno leaped into the cockpit and took control of the warship. Below, three pieces of black debris fell from the warship where Bruno was stationed.
Phhheeeeewwwwwwww!!
"Everyone, run!!!"
10.....
9...
8.....
7.....
6....
5....
4....
3....
2...
1....
BOOOOSSSGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
__________________________________
2 YEARS LATER
The lively street was crowded with people.
One the left side of the road, a woman in pink could be was selling various types of pastries wearing a big smile in her face. Suddenly, the bell at the door chimed and a man exited a clothing store. Across the street, a couple with their 7-year-old child exited from a restaurant.
As the father opened the car, their son heard a bird in a tree singing a sweet tune. He glanced up and noticed two birds playing around the branches of the tree. At that moment, a group of children laughed as they ran past the restaurant, crossing the street.
Solaris turned away from the window and took a sip of her tea. In front of her sat a man with a short bob haircut, engrossed in a newspaper.
"Hah! I never expected a woman to be this smart," Bruno remarked, shaking his head.
"It's impressive that she managed to create a new source of electricity after last year's incident. Tsk, tsk. That was quick!"
"Woahhh! Look! She's incredibly beautiful and intelligent. I wonder what her name is," he added.
Solaris rolled her eyes at him inwardly in response.
Just then, a plate of sweet, fragrant pastries was set on the table.
Solaris quickly grabbed one and took a bite, her eyes lighting up at the delicious milk and vanilla flavor.
After finishing one pastry, she eagerly reached for another.
Bruno noticed it and smirked."Hah! What a show-off. Right. It's been a year now. When are you two going to confess your feelings for each other?"
At his remarks, both Solaris and Evan exchanged glances before quickly looking away.
"Shut up!" Solaris exclaimed, burying her face in her food to hide her blush. Secretly, she raised her head and looked at Evan, who simply smiled back and sat down next to her.
"Pfftt!" Bruno chuckled and took a sip of his coffee.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and a stunning woman in a red dress with blonde hair walked in.
She scanned the room until her eyes landed on Solaris and the others in the corner. Waving, she approached their table with a smile.
"Ai, I'm so exhausted! It took forever to finish my new invention because Evan only sent me the instructions instead of teaching me in person!"
Bruno laughed and affectionately ruffled his wife's hair. "That's how it should be. Otherwise, someone might get jealous..." he teased, glancing at Solaris, who shot him a glare.
Bruno laughed even harder and added, "... which is me."
Cassiopeia giggled and leaned her head on her husband's shoulder. "By the way, how was your teaching class today, Solaris?"
Solaris nodded, swallowed her food, and smiled. "It went well. The women in my class are surprisingly bright. They grasp the lessons quickly. I almost thought they already know what I'm teaching and I'm the clueless one!"
"That's great to hear. I heard some folks in our community are planning to start a small business near Astra's Street."
"I heard it's a food venture," Bruno chimed in.
"Really?" Solaris asked.
Evan nodded and typed something on his bracelet.
'They mentioned wanting to sell food similar to what people eat on Earth.'
Solaris widened her eyes. "Are you talking about Old Earth, the one that exploded ages ago?"
Evan nodded.
"Yes, they discovered a few recipes and wanted to give them a try. Ugh! I'm so tired of these nutritional drinks. I just want to rest my head on my wife's lap," Bruno said, feigning exhaustion as he leaned against his wife's shoulder.
Cassiopeia laughed and playfully pinched his arm, causing him to yelp in pain.
The four continued their meal, reminiscing about Earth before its demise. They discussed how freely people could express themselves back then and how men and women enjoyed equal rights in education, human rights, and even voting, as well as voicing their concerns and suggestions to the government.
This was the vision Solaris and the others had long aspired to achieve: gender equality. Together, they vowed to uphold this freedom until the very end.
The end.