Bobby's eyes snapped open, his heart racing. The memory of the night's disturbance lingered, a reminder of the constant danger that was now his world. He had spent hours with his gun trained on the barricaded door, every muscle tense, waiting for an intruder that never came.

Rem's voice broke through the silence.

"About as well as you'd expect," Bobby muttered, stretching his stiff muscles. The yoga mats had provided little comfort against the hard floor.

He stood, dismantling his barricade.

Rem asked, as Bobby opened the office door.

"Nothing yet," Bobby replied, scanning the gym floor. The fallen weight plate that had served as his alarm still lay where it had fallen, but beyond that, there was no evidence of an intruder. "Whoever it was, they didn't stick around."

Bobby made a thorough sweep of the gym, his newfound stealth skills coming into play as he moved between the equipment. But his search yielded no clues, no trace of the mysterious presence that had disturbed his rest.

Rem suggested.

Nodding in agreement, Bobby made his way down to the ground floor. The surgery side of the building, which they had avoided the night before, now beckoned with the promise of potential supplies.

His cautiousness paid off. In a small break room, he discovered two more plastic bottles of water and a pack of ginger nut biscuits. "Not exactly a feast," Bobby commented, adding them to his new gym duffel bag, "but it'll have to do."

Rem agreed.

Bobby chuckled softly, appreciating Rem's attempt to lighten the mood. He slung the duffel bag diagonally across his chest, adjusting it for easy movement.

As he stepped out of the leisure centre into the morning light, Bobby took a deep breath. The air was crisp but tinged with a scent, almost as if it were carrying the faint scent of decay with it. But there was something else too - a touch of hope, with a hint of possibility, of survival.

"Right then," he said, squaring his shoulders. "Which way, Rem?"

Rem replied.

With a nod, Bobby set off, his footsteps echoing in the eerily quiet streets. As he walked, his mind wandered back to the mysterious visitor from the night before. I wonder why they didn’t try to get into the manager’s room?

Rem's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah," Bobby admitted. "I can't shake the feeling that we're missing something important."

Rem said.

Bobby smiled.

As they continued down the quiet street, Bobby's eyes were drawn to a small playground. The swings swayed gently in the breeze, their chains creaking softly. The once-vibrant climbing frames stood silent, their paint peeling and fading as if the changes under the system had quickened their demise.

Bobby paused, a wave of sadness washing over him. "I wonder if kids will ever play here again," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Rem replied, his tone uncharacteristically somber.

Bobby nodded, his throat tight with emotion. After a moment, he turned away from the playground, forcing himself to keep moving.

They walked in silence for about twenty minutes, Bobby's senses on high alert as they navigated the changed landscape of London. Eventually, they came upon the West Norwood Fire Station.

"Might be worth a look," Bobby said, approaching the building.

Inside, the fire station was a mess of overturned furniture and broken equipment. Bobby picked his way through the debris, searching for anything useful. Most of the valuable supplies had already been scavenged, but Bobby spotted something promising under a pile of broken gear.

"Hello, what's this?" he muttered, pulling out a sturdy fire axe. "This could come in handy."

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Rem agreed.

As they exited the fire station onto Knights Hill, the duffel bag was swinging uncomfortably against his lower back. The constant rubbing was chafing him.

"Hang on a sec," Bobby said, bending down to adjust the bag's strap. "This thing's driving me mad."

Just as he lowered himself, a sharp crack split the air. A bullet whizzed over his head, missing him by inches.

"Fuck!" A distant voice shouted in frustration.

Bobby's heart leapt into his throat. Without thinking, he dropped the duffel bag and sprinted to the side, the fire axe still clutched in his hand.

Rem's urgent voice echoed in his mind as Bobby dove behind a parked car, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Shit, shit, shit," Bobby panted, pressing his back against the car's damaged frame. "That was too close."

Rem advised.

"How far from the bag can you sense out?" He asked.

Bobby's heart pounded as he crouched behind the car. Slowly, he raised his head to peer over the back end, trying to get a better view of his attacker.

Another sharp crack rang out, and a bullet slammed into the car mere inches from Bobby's face. He ducked down, adrenaline surging through his veins.

"You missed, dickhead!" Bobby shouted, a mixture of fear and bravado in his voice.

His taunt was met with another shot, the bullet smashing a window in the car, showering him with glass.

As Bobby looked through the broken window, he glimpsed movement on the roof of a nearby house. The glint of sunlight on metal confirmed his suspicions about the shooter's location.

An idea formed in Bobby's mind. Without warning, he sprinted towards the back of the fire station.

Rem's voice echoed in his head, growing fainter with each step.

Rem's voice cut out as Bobby rounded the corner of the building, out of range of the duffel bag.

Using his stealth skills, Bobby made his way around the block, avoiding open areas and sticking to shadows. His heart raced as he circled back, approaching the scene from a different angle.

Finding a hidden vantage point, Bobby settled in to wait. His patience was rewarded when, after what felt like an eternity, a figure emerged from the building where he had spotted the movement earlier.

The shooter moved towards the abandoned duffel bag, rifle at the ready. As they drew closer, Bobby was surprised to see it was a woman.

Instinctively, he focused on her, trying to gather information as he had done with the monsters he'd encountered. To his amazement, text appeared in his vision:

Name: Unknown

Class: Raider

Level: 22

Bobby's eyes widened. Level 22? Fuck my life! He swallowed hard, realising just how outmatched he was. As he watched the woman approach his discarded bag, he knew he had to decide quickly. The wrong move could cost him his life.

He crept towards the building line, his heart pounding in his chest. He moved from shadow to shadow, getting as close as he dared while remaining undetected. A notification flashed in his vision.

Stealth skill increased to 4

But he ignored it, focusing on his target. When he was within pistol range, Bobby set down the fire axe and drew his gun, gripping it firmly with both hands. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out from his hiding spot.

"Don't move!" Bobby shouted, his voice carrying across the quiet street.

The woman spun around, her rifle already rising. But Bobby was prepared, already in motion, as he shouted. Her shot went wide, the crack of the rifle impossibly loud in the silent morning.

Bobby's aim was true. His bullet caught her in the shoulder, the impact spinning her around and sending her crashing to the ground. Her rifle clattered away, sliding across the pavement.

"Stay down!" Bobby yelled, rushing towards her. "Don't try anything!"

As he approached, Rem's voice burst into his mind, full of indignation and relief.

"Bit busy right now, Rem," Bobby muttered through gritted teeth, his eyes never leaving the fallen raider.

The woman groaned, clutching her bleeding shoulder. Her eyes, filled with a mixture of pain and fury, locked onto Bobby.

"Hands where I can see them," Bobby ordered, his gun trained on her. "No sudden moves."

"You're fucking dead!" the woman snarled, her eyes blazing with fury.

Bobby kept his gun trained on her, his heart racing. "Just calm down. I don't want to hurt you."

The raider's right hand clutched her bleeding shoulder, while her left remained hidden behind her back. Bobby's instincts screamed danger.

"Take your hand out slowly," Bobby commanded, his voice tense. "Now!"

She ignored him, her eyes never leaving his face. The standoff stretched on, seconds feeling like hours.

"I said, take your hand out!" Bobby shouted, his finger tightening on the trigger.

Finally, the woman seemed to comply. Slowly, she brought her left hand into view. But it wasn't empty.

"Whatever the fuck that thing is, put it down now." Bobby ordered, eyeing the strange device in her hand.

A cruel smile played across the raider's lips. "If you wish," she said, her voice dripping with malice.

She let the object fall to the ground. As it hit the pavement, it sprouted metal legs like a spider and began sprinting towards Bobby.

"Shit!" Bobby yelped, firing at the mechanical monstrosity. His first shot went wide, and the spider-bot kept coming.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the raider leapt to her feet and bolted.

Bobby's second shot found its mark, destroying it in a shower of sparks and twisted metal. He swung his gun towards the fleeing raider, but hesitated. He couldn't bring himself to shoot her in the back.

"Wait!" he shouted after her, but she was already disappearing into the house she'd emerged from earlier.

"Fuck!" Bobby cursed, torn between self-preservation and burning curiosity. She was the first human he'd encountered since this nightmare began. He had so many questions.

Rem's voice cut through his thoughts.

Ignoring the voice of reason, Bobby retrieved his duffel bag and fire axe. He dropped the bag next to the axe near the house, his mind racing.

Run the other way, you idiot, he thought to himself. But the pull of potential answers was too strong.

Bobby found himself at the front door of the house, his hand on the knob. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever lay beyond.

Rem warned.

"I know," Bobby muttered. "But I have to try."

With that, he pushed open the door and stepped into the unknown, chasing after the first human contact he'd had in this strange new world.