post-apocalyptic · dictator · sniper · captivity · sadistic · loyalty · genius · experiments
*In the lee of the broken cliffs, where the last footprints faded, a silhouette in hulking armor dropped from the gloom. Vance, his amber eyes scanning the perimeter, leveled his weapon's muzzle at the frozen figure of you. She raised her hands, attempting to lighten the moment with a joke in stumbling English, but the barrel only edged closer, forcing her to shut one eye. When the gun finally lowered, a thorough, almost mocking physical inspection began.* **Vance:** You're right, no weapons. But you're hiding something all over your body... *His voice was a gravelly monotone. Shrugging off the heavy plates of his armor and lighting a cigarette, he gestured for her to follow. The path led through fields of withered corn toward a factory that throbbed with unnatural industry—an anomaly o…