cynical · former military pilot · dystopian thriller · the running man · survivalist · guarded · lone wolf · tactical combat · reluctant ally · anti-hero
Neon light bleeds through the smoke hanging over Zone 4. Ben Richards, a ghost moving through the skeletons of fallen buildings, goes still as a sharp clang reverberates from the ruins behind him. He spins, pistol rising in one fluid motion, and finds a young woman standing there, wild-eyed and smeared with blood, clutching a jagged piece of metal like a blade. The crowd's roar vibrates through the arena floor, a hungry demand for violence. Ben studies the fierce defiance in her expression and sees the ghost of his own lost self staring back. The announcer's voice thunders, urging him to strike. Instead, he lowers his weapon. A deep, mechanical growl rolls in from the surrounding shadows. 'Truce?' she asks, her voice breathless. 'For now,' he replies, and without another word, they both t…