18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 376

Stella spotted him too-no doubt about it, he was a beggar. Dressed in tattered rags, barefoot, and wandering aimlessly. "Another soul driven mad by the apocalypse," she sighed to herself.

Just as she was reflecting, the sound of a car caught the beggar's attention. Surprisingly, he turned and waved frantically to flag it down. "Robbery tactics are getting more and more creative," she thought. "This guy could very well be a decoy for an ambush."

Stella cocked her gun, ready to take him down if he showed any sign of threat.

"Hey, stop the car, stop the car!" the beggar shouted.

Stella scanned the area but saw no sign of an ambush.

Jasper didn't hit the brakes and just drove past.

"Damn it, stop!" the beggar yelled, flipping them the bird.

Stella squinted, recognizing the figure in the rearview mirror.

"Stop the car," she commanded.

Seeing the truck pull over, the beggar's mood swung from irritation to hope. He limped over and asked, "Buddy, could you give me a lift?"

He hurried over but froze in shock when he got a better look.

It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him in the dead of winter.

Without a word, he covered his face and turned to leave.

"Bran," Stella called out.

It was as if his heart had been pierced; his entire body stiffened.

His dignity, once guarded, now trampled into the mud.

But Stella didn't mock him or ask how he'd come to this. "Get in. We're still a good ten miles from the base. If you walk, your feet will be shredded."

reduced to a destitute beggar by natural disasters. Fate had

Bran had to settle for sitting on a pile of

exposed to someone he knew was a nightmare come true. But what could

atop a pile of garbage, numb to the jostling of the vehicle, his eyes void

and drove up

trading, and cashing in

steel took the workers some time to clean, and after weighing, they earned 3000 credits minus the

truckload of steel could sustain a family

casual attitude meant no prying questions about where the steel came from,

credits. She went straight to the base's store and

escape pods, these ten packs could last for three

Robinson Crusoe situation, it was

up and buy a whole load at once, for the day when it

from a submarine, Stella had

family was eager to

without a word, probably a matter of

deep breath inwardly, not sure

on the way back to their private

"Hey, Bran. You left some meds with me a while back. With things as chaotic as they are, I can't keep them safe anymore.

aback, not expecting the usually covetous Stella to

"Uh, later," he mumbled.

scavenging again after a short break. Wouldn't want you to

Bran merely nodded, "Mhm."

giving him the address to the compound and exchanging goodbyes without much fuss, they

watched the truck drive away, feeling his heart, already battered by

compound, the trio and their dog

the comfort of home-cooked

with Jasper, "Remember when the Porras family's annex got hit by that satellite? Bran gave us a lot of meds as thanks. I think he added extra as

all in Goldbridge except Bran. With all the disasters, looking after their golden boy wouldn't be

and his prideful nature, asking him to do hard

he had turned to scavenging, a dangerous and

to a pitiful state, it was a