Apocalypse Trade Monopoly

Ava moved sprinted toward the flickering power conduit, boots barely skimming the damp floor.

Behind her—

The thing twitched.

Then—it lunged.

Too fast. Too unnatural.

Its clawed fingers scraped against her back, shredding the air inches from her spine.

Ava threw herself forward, twisting at the last second—slamming her shoulder against the exposed conduit.

[ WARNING: HIGH-VOLTAGE CURRENT DETECTED. ]

Sparks exploded, bright blue arcs dancing across metal.

Ava didn't hesitate.

She ripped a loose cable free.

Turned—and jammed it straight into the creature's chest.

The effect was instant.

Electricity ripped through its body, lighting up its twisted bones and stretched skin.

It let out a horrible, wet scream.

Its entire form seized, twitching violently, muscles locking up.

The stench of burning flesh filled the air.

Ava gritted her teeth, forcing the cable deeper.

"How do you like that?" she snarled.

The thing jerked.

For a second, she thought it was dying.

Then—it grabbed her wrist.

Ava's breath hitched.

The grip was too strong.

Fingers like iron claws, crushing down—

Then it pulled.

Hard.

Ava lost her footing, yanked forward—

Straight into its jagged, unhinged mouth.

Ava reacted on instinct.

She wrenched her shock blade free, twisting it in her grip—and drove it straight into the creature's face.

CRACK.

The blade slammed through cartilage, piercing the soft tissue beneath its eye.

The thing screamed.

Its grip tightened, crushing her wrist.

Ava bit back a curse, muscles straining as she fought against its inhuman strength.

She needed to end this. Now.

The power cable was still sparking, still live.

She had one shot.

Ava planted her heel against the creature's chest.

And kicked.

Hard.

The force ripped her free, tearing her arm from its grasp as she rolled backward—just far enough to grab the live wire.

The creature lurched forward, jaws wide—

Ava didn't hesitate.

She slammed the sparking cable against its open mouth.

Electricity ripped through its skull.

The thing convulsed violently, limbs thrashing, muscles locking as thousands of volts surged through its body.

Its wet, guttural screams echoed through the tunnel.

Then—a final jolt.

A sharp, spasming twitch.

And then—

Silence.

The creature collapsed.

Smoke curled from its body, skin blistered and scorched.

Ava's breath came hard.

She didn't move. Didn't blink.

[ THREAT NEUTRALIZED. ]

Her pulse slowed.

Then—her system blared again.

[ WARNING: MULTIPLE LIFE FORMS DETECTED. ]

[ DISTANCE: 45 METERS. ]

Ava's stomach dropped.

Something else was coming.

[ WARNING: MULTIPLE LIFE FORMS DETECTED. ]

[ DISTANCE: 40 METERS. ]

[ MOVEMENT SPEED: INCREASING. ]

Ava's grip tightened around her shock blade.

Her muscles burned, her pulse hammering, but she didn't have time to feel it.

Didn't have time to rest.

She had seconds.

[ Nearest Exit: 85 Meters West. ]

Not close enough.

[ Alternative Route: Unstable Maintenance Shaft – 12 Meters South. ]

Ava's jaw clenched.

The shaft.

Her system had flagged it earlier—partially collapsed, barely holding together.

A risk.

But better than standing here waiting to die.

[ DISTANCE: 30 METERS. ]

Ava turned fast, sprinting south.

The tunnel narrowed, tightened, the air growing even thicker, the stench of mold and rotting metal curling in her lungs.

Then—she saw it.

A rusted hatch in the floor, barely hanging onto its hinges.

She skidded to a stop, boots kicking up dust.

[ STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY: 22% (CRITICAL FAILURE IMMINENT). ]

Ava exhaled sharply.

Then—she dropped to her knees and wrenched it open.

Below—nothing but darkness.

Ava didn't hesitate.

Didn't look back.

She threw herself into the void.

Ava dropped.

Air rushed past her skin, cold and stale, thick with dust. The shaft was too dark, too deep. Her system flickered warnings, trying to calculate her speed, the distance—

[ FREEFALL DETECTED. ]

[ ESTIMATED DROP: 20 METERS. ]

[ LANDING SURFACE: UNKNOWN. ]

Ava braced.

Then—

Impact.

She hit hard, rolling instinctively, muscles absorbing the worst of the fall.

The floor beneath her was uneven. Wet.

Her palms scraped against metal plating, but nothing snapped. No bones broken.

Pain—yes.

But she was alive and probably healing.

Ava exhaled—she listened.

No movement. No breathing. No creatures above.

Ava's pulse slowed.

She wasn't safe. Not yet.

Carefully, she pushed herself up, scanning the space around her.

Her system adjusted.

[ ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS… ]

[ LOCATION: BUNKER SUBLEVELS. ]

[ STATUS: ABANDONED. STRUCTURAL DAMAGE: EXTREME. ]

[ POWER GRID: INACTIVE. ]

A dead zone.

Ava frowned.

These tunnels were never mapped. Never mentioned in trade routes.

She exhaled slowly, pressing a hand to her ribs, feeling the dull ache of impact.

She tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling above. Questioning her life choices.

How the hell did I get here?

Not just here-here.

Not just trapped in a forgotten sublevel, bruised, alone, possibly dying.

But here.

In a world where she had to lie, steal, fight just to exist.

Where one bad move could get her killed.

Ava exhaled sharply.

She wasn't dead yet.

She could sit here, waste time thinking about things that didn't matter—

Or she could get the hell out.

Ava straightened slowly still feeling the hurt. Eyes narrowing as she scanned the dark commaning the system.

[ CALCULATING ESCAPE ROUTE… ]

Ava moved.

Slow, careful steps, boots gliding over cracked metal plating.

The tunnel stretched ahead—endless.

Much like the choices that led her here.

Her mind wouldn't shut up.

Trust gets you killed.

And yet—she'd chosen Lucas.

Of all the people in this rotting, collapsing world, she'd put her bets on him.

Lucas Bai.

A man who had lied, bartered, and manipulated his way through every deal.

A man who always had a scheme, always had an angle.

A man who had dragged her into chaos again and again—

And still made sure she walked out of it alive.

Was it the right choice?

Her grip tightened.

Yes.

Lucas was the right choice.

But that didn't mean she would follow him blindly.

Ava wasn't stupid. She had learned the hard way—loyalty was a currency, and trust was a gamble.

She had been used before.

Betrayed. Discarded. Left behind.

That would never happen again.

If she was going to stand at Lucas's side, if she was going to play this game with him—then she would set her own price.

No more walking in blind.

No more taking orders without knowing the full stakes.

Lucas Bai was a businessman.

And if he wanted her in his empire?

Then he would have to pay what she was worth.

Ava exhaled, steadied herself.

She wasn't just an asset.

She was a player.

And from now on, she would demand her price.

Ava kept moving.

The tunnel stretched long and unforgiving, but she was done hesitating.

The choice had been made.

She would work with Lucas.

But on her terms.

Not as some nameless player in his game.

Not as another pawn in his empire.

If he wanted her, if he wanted the full force of what she could do—then he would have to meet her at the table as an equal.

No more walking in blind.

No more playing by rules she didn't set.

Ava pushed forward, stepping over rusted pipes and shattered metal grates.

Her system flickered.

[ EXIT ROUTE DETECTED. ]

[ ELEVATION CHANGE: 3 METERS UP. ]

[ PATH CLEAR. ]

Finally.

Ava quickened her pace, spotting the faint outline of a maintenance ladder ahead.

She grabbed the metal rungs, pulled herself up.

Her muscles burned, but she didn't stop.

At the top, a sealed hatch.

Ava reached for the handle, bracing herself.

Then—she pushed it open.

Fresh air.

Cool. Dry.

And on the other side?

Lucas Bai.

Leaning against a rusted-out truck, arms crossed, golden eyes gleaming.

Like he had been waiting for her all along.

Ava exhaled sharply.

Then—she stepped forward.

Time to name her price.