League Universe: Zaun Fanfiction (short)

Ekko Fanficition

The fluorescent glow of Zaun’s buildings would have been a beautiful sight to see, if it wasn’t for the smog concealing it, creating an everlasting night. Night and day was of no importance to the residents of the underground city. The noise never ceased, and the citizens never slept. The smog was so thick, inhaling it for more than a few minutes at a time could kill even the strongest man. But this was common knowledge for any residents of the dark, polluted city. The smog only added to the stench of fear that resided in the lower levels of Zaun. It wasn’t uncommon for ghostly hands to appear from the smog, grabbing an innocent bystander and drag them into the veil of pollution, never to be seen again. The thought didn’t occur to the young boy as he walked down the streets of the city. The only thing on his mind was the never-ending hunger. It was the highest cause of the death in Zaun, and what drove the boy to come out of his safehouse. Not like it was much better in there. Sizable rats overran the city, outnumbering the residents a hundred to one. A dumpster behind Pantheon’s bakery caught the boy’s eye. A dumpster to the boys of the slum was an equivalent to dinner, and one behind a bakery could contain a five-star meal. The boy quickly ran over to it, checking over his shoulder as he went. Anyone could be watching, and if they were as hungry as he was, they would have no problem killing for food. As he rifled through old chicken bones and contaminated plastic, half of a baguette poked out underneath a pile of trash like a needle in a haystack. The boy eagerly grabbed the stale piece of bread, not even noticing the mold residing at the end. As he bit into his fruit of labor, a mass of black fur and sharp teeth leaped at him from within the dumpster. He didn’t even realize what was happening until the rat was upon him, eyes full of the instinct to kill, sharp claws extended. The boy screamed in pain as the rat’s claws sunk into the scarred flesh beneath the shoulder. The rat only knew two things. How to eat and how to burrow. Everything else was a formality. So burrow the rat did, tearing out chunks of the boy’s flesh and bone by teeth and claw. While the harrowing event only lasted a few seconds, those few seconds felt like a painful eternity. The boy found himself on his back on the cold, stone ground, writhing in pain. The baguette laid on its side, a few inches away. The piece of chemically imbued cloth slid off his nose, and then his mouth. The rat had formed a considerably large hole in the right side of his chest, and blood started pouring out. As the boy tilted his head up to the sky, a wave a nostalgia washed over him. He was back in simpler times, staring up at the cavern sealing far above, surrounded by his brothers. “One day, we are going to leave Zaun behind, and travel to the world above, where we can lay down and look at the real sky, one not obscured by darkness.” His brothers silently nodded. As the memory faded, he was left with feelings of disappointment and sadness. He wept, realizing he was never going to see his brothers in this life. One of many dreams dissipated into the smog. At least things couldn’t get any worse. He closed his eyes, waiting for death to slowly overcome him, when he heard a guttural growl. He paid it no mind and was envisioning life up above. The sky was a cobalt blue, and the sun was shining. The wind rustled the grass, and the boy was overwhelmed by a sudden sense of peace and calm. Finally, he could rest undisturbed. The only odd sensation was one of… wetness? Suddenly he was overpowered by a terrible, rancid odor, and he opened his eyes. They were met with another pair, colored blood red. Those eyes were attached to a face, one filled with unkempt fur, and a big running snout. He realized the wetness in his vision was due to the saliva streaming out of the animal’s bloodstained mouth, drenching his whole body. He didn’t have the luxury of screaming as a powerful, muscular claw ripped out his heart with unnatural precision. The only evidence of the boy’s existence was coated on the ground, along with half a piece of moldy bread laying on the cement. You don’t need a forensic scientist to translate the scene of the murder. After all, hunger is a universal language.