The streets were peaceful, the lights dimmed. The pace was slow, the city was quiet. People were minding their business, quietly to say the least. There were cars moving left and right, yet they made no noise neither screeched. A horse was trotting nearby yet made no sound neither did his trot make any click. The constable on his back looked left and right just as he was supposed to do, yet the two made no noise and moved like ghosts in the lowly lighted streets of Harkov.

The ambiance was either peaceful or frightening for a metropolitan man. Harkov achieved City status just a few years ago, but despite a population of 500,000 citizens, the city was as eerily quiet as a ghost town.

Three figures strode out from a car that swiftly left after the drop. They wore Black spiffy uniforms, the color of the City of Harkov and the signature uniform of the Dmitry and Valutin University. The headgear was a kepi water proofed yet comfortable due to the utilization of various textiles, students of both genders wore the same uniform: a black spiffy coat, a blue plain tank top for an undershirt, dark colored baggy pants with more than six pockets for utilitarian use and light, dark colored, and water proof boots.

***

September 1, 2787. Holland Avenue, Harkov City. 0600hrs.

In a corner lies a bag and student in her teens, wearing a Black uniform with a face as lifeless as the dead. Looking from a distance you would have mistaken her for a boy as most students are meant to look like, whether boy or girl. The philosophy behind this is rooted in Azuna's existence and necessity.

Despite the various hunts to eradicate the monsters that exist in Azuna's wild jungles and rain forests the plague seems to just appear out of nowhere and claim lives without warning, and so people started to prefer slender bodies and swift motion to accommodate the need to move silently and efficiently so as to avoid the attention of the monsters they so despise.

Every civilian carries a multi-weapon everywhere they go due to the threat of being attacked without warning. From the working classes to the snobs of the city everybody carries their lifesaver everywhere they go, except the immigrants and tourists who are new to the country.

The grim reality of being torn, and eaten in bite-sized pieces has forced the populace a grim demeanor and near-paranoid stance that is exemplified even in the toilet. Everybody seeks to move fast, precisely and silently. Conversations are barely done in the open, for they are carried out inside the houses where noise canceling materials are in place to provide relief to the forever frightened denizens.

This student herself is no different. She looked left and right and saw nothing but fog and a Lurker, the local name of the monsters in the street a few hundred metres away from her. She pulls the two components of her Mark VIII "Zapper" her trusty weapon ever since she turned eight, her first time out of the house, her first day of school as she took three Lurkers with it.

This could be her fourth.

She slowly assembled the two parts fitting them in place, by the looks of this weapon of hers it looks similar the ancient Kriss submachine gun of old earth only without the bullets as this weapon utilized rays of heat to produce an offensive effect against would be attackers and only had a range of Fifty metres and fifteen bursts of destructive ray or stun to its name.

She looked at the counter "eight" only eight bursts left. She set the zapper to stun, she had no intention to attract more and the stun option in the mark VIII is as quiet as a boot hitting the snow.

" The patrols won't arrive till 0800 here."

She said under her breath.

"Just, chyort!"

She added with a hint of annoyance in her tone.

Fifteen more minutes left before the school bus arrives and that Lurker is heading straight towards her. She improved her stance and aimed her weapon, her first kill was when she was nine and she rested her left hand near the barrel to level her aim, now she aimed at the bugger with only one.

Back then she reminisced that there were three of them: an old man and a constable. Now she's alone and nervous, never did she manage to kill one alone but now she would have to. Slowly yet steadily the Lurker moved slowly towards her with a ferocity and appetite like nothing she's ever seen before. And suddenly stopped as if it was a statue in the middle of the road! It stood still for 5 more minutes and then proceeded to move towards her and then stopped again for another five minutes!

Not taking any chances she took out her mask, a breather to be exact that covers both the mouth and nose except the eyes. It provides filtered air and noise canceling to the user because silence is a necessity especially to those with colds and coughs or in her case to mask the fear she has in her.

Once again the bugger pounced and bounced towards her,

"Huhhh?" She screamed in the mask. 'Pounced and bounced? Now that is strange! They moved swiftly not bumbly!'

But dumbly or not it is moving straight at her, with each passing second it draws nearer. Controlling her breath, tightening her grip and focusing her eyes on the iron sights she aimed at the head.

" One, two , three then shoot!" she said under her breath.

But halfway pulling the trigger the Lurker veered left and attacked nothing but the pavement as it sunk its teeth on the asphalt and cement, it then proceeded to run in circles and froze once again.

She examined the creature from her spot, a mere 25 meters away from the monster. Her observation was astounding for this one is weakened and diseased.

"God's teeth!" She said under the mask.

The patrols will arrive in a few minutes after she dispatches and calls the station.

She laughed under her breath and thought "Idiot! hahaha! you're just giving me an easy target" and proceeded to stun the bugger. The shot went right in between the eyes, her best shot so far. She then set it to zap and zapped it in the side of the skull burning the brain inside. She sighed and took a deep breath, another exciting day so far although most of her peers would consider it a drag she thinks of it as a pleasure to dispose of the plague in every way possible.

She proceeded to retrieve her Touch screen phone and dialed the station, gave the code word, and location.

"Hostile: eliminated, Location: Holland three." She said as she relayed the information.

" Thank you, dispatching Group five for cleanup. Thanks miss, Leutnant Parker out." The station replied. " Von Himmel out." She replied.

The bus arrived a few moments later. She moved near the bus and got in. She waved her hand to the driver Hector as a greeting and saw him make satisfied smile, she took off her mask and smiled in return to show a level of respect to the part-time driver full-time defense teacher of the university and took her usual seat as the bus moved according to schedule.

Her boyfriend Pyotr looked at her with a stupid grin, she responded with a confused one in return. "Four kills in eight years Erika, one more this year and you're up for the Shützen award." He said.

"You had Eight in three years! Shouldn't you deserve the Keeper of the Black book award!" She replied. "One in Eight years Erika, the rest were encounters. Just one and I pissed my pants that time" he said with mockingly sheepish tone. "Its no big deal ya know, most wouldn't even want an encounter with those buggers," She said with a reassuring Voice but he proceeded to look at her with an odd stare that of lust and blood lust.

She pinched him in the side and looked at him with a face of reprimand advertised in her stare. " The smartest, most handsome, best shot and overall heart breaker in the school yet you look at me with eyes that of a sad wolf and without even an inch of confidence in your face. Really Pyotr!!!" She said in an interrogative manner.

" Sorry I'm just bothered by something every now and then Erika." he said with a hint of apology in his voice.

She put on her Mask and screamed " BLYATTT!!!!". She saw it coming, they said they'd make a good couple even perfect! But Erika didn't see it that way, her feelings for Pyotr were platonic and she looks up to him as a brother. He was the brother she never had but many saw them the perfect couple instead. These thoughts were racing in her mind as she laid her head on the seat.

Moments later the bus stopped and the door opened, they were at the campus already.