NOVEL WEB Ran
Orion's small boat pulls up to the small shore of the island, it being one of the first true shores the three have seen.
The island is a perfect, small paradise, with a circular beach and a small jungle residing in the center, being thick enough that one cannot see through the other side.
Cole jumps out of the boat, and looks around cautiously, and takes his pistol out and keeps it at his side.
Orion lays his large rifle down and pulls his pistol and slowly gets out.
Howl hops out of the boat, and stares at the pristine beach. He lays on the beach and starts making sand angels, covering himself in sand and flapping his arms.
He turns around, looking at his two friends with their guns drawn and their suspicions high.
"Not bad, mates. Hey. Instead of this suicide mission we are doing, let's just stay here until the end of the world."
"That already happened," Cole says quietly, peering into the jungle thick ahead.
Howl sticks his tongue out and looks to Orion. "He's a downer, ain't he mate?"
Orion says nothing.
As he is watching the world around him, Orion is also staring at his display, which has now morphed into not only a menu of his xp, but photos and messages, and now lines of detail analyzing everything around them.
Cole is in the same position, though his is even more advanced. More colors and schematics flash around his display. Cole clears everything with a twist of his fingers to just his main menu.
SURVIVAL XP - 60%
KNOWLEDGE XP - 70%
COMBAT / FIGHT / DEFENSE XP - 60%
LEGEND XP
It keeps fluctuating. Up and down.
Suddenly, there is a blood curling scream.
All three men look up.
A young woman runs from the jungle, gun drawn. Her long hair flies behind her.
A large futuristic rifle, albeit smaller than Orion and Cole's guns in the boat, is in her hands. Her clothes are of a torn, tribal, warrior nature.
Wrappings around her chest and sections of her legs and thighs and back, with a tactical belt full of weapons and survival gear to top it off.
But unlike some of the people of the island and the new world, she is a pale white. So white her skin is freckled everywhere, from being underneath the atomic sky.
She is beautiful and tough.
"Leave! Now!" She screams, as she keeps running, finger on the trigger.
She points her gun at all three men with tactical precision, knowing how to kill.
Suddenly, the woman sees Cole and stops.
She almost collapses, but stands still like a statue at the same time.
Her hard exterior melts, and she drops her gun at her side.
Her face goes through all emotions possible.
Joy. Happiness. Regret. Sorrow. Disbelief. Anger.
Cole's display goes into a frenzy, and he nearly throws up from the flashes of light and information.
Like a signal is blocking his vision and the menu, or like he is overheating and his sight and brain becomes a static filled image, with nothing making sense.
Her face goes through a computer like scan in front of Cole, and information and code fill his eyes.
He swipes it all away, and stares at her with his own eyes, albeit the menu being in the bottom corner.
The woman continues to stare at him. "Cole," she whispers. Her freckled lips barely move.
Cole stares back, but says nothing.
"Do you not remember?" She asks.
Cole tries. He really does. But nothing yet. "There is something there. There is something here. But, I cannot."
The woman takes a step forward. Cole takes a step back, intimidated. She keeps coming.
"I thought the fallen had turned you," she says.
Cole shakes his head.
Howl's mouth is wide open. "Mate, you know this woman?! This island warrior?! Hi darling. Hi princess. My name is - "
"Stop talking," the woman says, pointing her gun with one hand towards Howl without looking.
"Done," Howl says, backing up.
Orion takes a step forward. "Mam, I am Orion. We are - "
The woman looks to Orion. "I know who you are. We're neighbors. I go to the port for provisions."
The freckled woman's mouth turns, almost in agony, as she faces Cole again. "No. Don't tell me. Cole. You were there? The whole time? That island?"
Cole nods, then looks at Orion for help.
"Yeah. He was," Orion hates to give the bad news. "He was in the village primarily, on the other side of the island. He was under constant care until this week. Then, something changed."
The woman takes another step closer to Cole. Her heart broken.
"What happened, Cole? Do you really not remember?"
She then takes her hand and places it on his face.
He is triggered. His display in the corner of his eyes goes into a frenzy again. In a jolt, he grabs her hand on his face and stares back. But all he can do is shake his head.
"Do you still have the menu?" She asks.
Cole's eyes go wide. So do Orion's.
"What are you all talking about? What's a menu?! At the bar?" Howl asks.
The woman looks at Orion and he shakes his head. Quiet.
Cole looks at her and nods. "Did I have it before?"
She nods, and pulls her hand from his face.
"Do you?"
She shakes her head, and her hard exterior slowly starts to build back. "Not many do. Those of you that do are cursed."
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Howl asks.
"Some of us have abilities others don't. We all call it different things. Does that make sense?" Cole says, without lifting his eyes off her.
"Yeah. Why don't you all just say that?!" Howl snaps.
"Can you please tell us what you know?" Orion asks. "And your name?"
"Ran," she says. "My name is Ran. Out of the sun, boys. It's going to kill us."
She then turns and starts making her way towards the jungle.
Howl takes off after her.
Orion and Cole slowly follow behind.
Howl turns around as he is running after her.
"Cole?! That was your girl and you don't remember her?!" Howl nearly tears his hair out.
"Nope." Cole says.
"What about this island?" Orion asks, lowering his volume so only Cole can hear.
"There is something. My display is going crazy. I can't even have it up," Cole whispers back to Orion.