Chapter 151 Subway Surfers 2: Minions Run

pain.

You woke up, your head buzzing.

It's something I've never experienced before. I feel like you're completely submerged in the stench of being wrapped in seaweed at high tide, with waves of pain surging in.

You should have opened your eyes by now, but the world is still shrouded in darkness. You fight off the dizziness, shake your head violently, and finally, your vision returns to normal, and you see a tiny glimmer of light in the far distance.

It's too dark around you to tell what that little light is. You grope around, trying to find your phone.

The moment you touch your phone, your fingers come into contact with something sticky, soft, and warm.

You couldn't see it, so you looked down and smelled it. The stench was like crushing the last bit of clarity in your mind into a puddle of mush.

You turned on your phone, but didn't have time to turn on the flashlight.

They were two fat men. The real kind—their T-shirts ripped at their stomachs, face down on the ground like two lumps of rotten flesh, dead behind you, their eyeballs bulging out, dark blood foam dripping from their mouths.

In an instant, your headache and body pain disappeared. You suddenly kicked your leg, throwing yourself off them. You tumbled and slid into the handrail on the other side of the carriage with a loud metallic clang.

You just stood there, leaning against the handrail, stunned for a moment.

The carriages are angled.

No, it's the angle where the entire vehicle is tilted, almost flipping over while touching the ground.

The light from your phone shines on your hand, which is covered in shards of glass and unidentified dirty liquid. On the floor, separated by seats, all the passengers lie haphazardly, some motionless, some twitching—you're not even sure if they can be considered "alive."

You struggled to your feet, propping yourself up from the handrail and taking a few steps toward the car window while holding onto the wall.

The flashlight couldn't illuminate the outside world at all; all you could be sure of was that outside the window was a pitch-black underground space filled with concrete dust.

It looked as if the entire rear of the train was stuck in the rubble, leaning at an angle.

The subway station collapsed.

You never imagined the crisis would originate from the subway itself. It happened so suddenly that you remember nothing except for the screams, the force of the impact, and the suffocating feeling of gravity squeezing air out of your lungs.

Your hands tremble as you look at your phone screen. Please, I need a signal... You want to call the police, but there's only a network signal, no voice signal.

You stared at the screen for a few seconds, then calmed down. You've experienced countless major disasters and know that when a crisis strikes—miracles don't come to people.

What can the internet do for you? I opened social media, then clicked on the black cross and musical notes. To my surprise, several breaking news items had already climbed to the top of the trending topics: "Subway Accident" and "A Line Track Collapse."

You clicked on a live video.

The footage is shaky and dimly lit; it shows a local video blogger filming from a distance at a subway entrance. She holds her phone up to a long line of barricades—police cars, fire trucks, and engineering vehicles lined up, with orange traffic cones blocking the entire road.

The audio feed keeps showing you more related videos based on your search. Soon you see a male firefighter wearing a live-streaming camera, illuminating the road ahead with a spotlight, walking downhill.

You saw what was happening in the top few carriages of the train, and were excited to discover that the entire subway train hadn't been randomly "thrown" underground, but rather, "logically," a section of it was still hanging on the ground.

In other words, the entire train did not completely collapse. Live footage showed engineers using drones to detect the train's tilted position; the last carriage was deeply buried, while the front carriages were stuck in the tunnel section that had not yet collapsed.

In other words, if you keep walking forward, theoretically you can get out.

Rather than sitting among a pile of corpses and waiting to be rescued, it's better to climb up yourself.

You put your phone away and looked around—corpses littered the ground, the stench grew stronger, and the air was cold and damp.

—You feel uneasy, as if something is about to pop out if you stay here any longer.

As for what it might be... countless zombie movies flash through your mind.

Having decided to save yourself first, a thought suddenly flashes through your mind: Hey, will they still be alive?

"They" refers to the two Yazhou girls you saw earlier.

You try to recall their location. They're wearing school uniforms and hoodies, carrying small bags, like international students from a nearby school, it seems... it seems like they're over there.

As you walk, you use your flashlight to scan the rows of carriages.

The vehicle was tilted, and the flashlight beam swayed as it swept across the faces of the slumped corpses. You could see more clearly than before; most of them had become even more unrecognizable due to the impact and crushing, their already disfigured classic American faces even more so. One was even embedded face down in the seat gap.

It was really scary, so you quickened your pace and didn't dare to look closely.

Finally, at the front of the carriage, you see two limp figures leaning together.

You stop and approach cautiously.

When the flashlight swept across their faces, your heart skipped a beat, until one of the girls' eyelids twitched slightly.

You were somewhat delighted, but also afraid of startling her, so you tried speaking: "Hello?"

She didn't react. You took another step closer and gently patted her shoulder.

She suddenly gasped for breath, opened her eyes, and looked on with the fear of being suddenly pulled out of the water.

"What...I..." Her face was covered in blood, which almost blinded her eyes.

You gently wiped her face clean with your sleeve, and strangely enough, there were no marks on her face.

"It's alright, you're still alive," you said, with a hint of encouragement.

She stared at you blankly for a few seconds, then moved her body with difficulty. Realizing that she wasn't seriously injured, her eyes finally cleared a little, and her voice was hoarse: "Sister, what happened? We're on the subway, what's wrong...?"

“The subway tracks have collapsed.” You paused. “I woke up a little earlier than you. I saw people doing rescues, but we’re in a very low position. Just waiting here like this probably isn’t going to work. We have to find a way to save ourselves.”

She slowly propped herself up. A young boy of this age wouldn't easily trust anyone. Even in such an extreme situation, she simply expressed her gratitude politely and then immediately sought her companion's opinion.

Her hand was still on the girl next to her, and you glanced in her direction as well.

The girl didn't move.

"Xiao Wu? Xiao Wu?" The one who was awake panicked, his hands trembling as he grabbed the girl's shoulders, but he didn't dare to look at her any closer.

You moved closer and crouched down to examine it.

You lift Xiao Wu's head up, and you see a pair of half-open eyes. The gaze is unfocused, the skin is cold, and there is no breath.

You shake your head.

She has apparently passed away.

If you turn to look at the one who is still alive, she has already collapsed to the side when you reached out to touch Xiao Wu, and she is now completely stunned.

You didn't say anything, but she already understood everything, and she refused to accept that conclusion.

You whispered, "She's gone."

Her eyes blinked weakly twice, her mouth opened unconsciously, and she slowly lowered her head, seemingly wanting to hold Xiao Wu's hand, but in the end she only touched the back of his hand with her fingers.

There is no temperature.

Her lips moved, but no sound came out. Then she nodded, just a slight nod, as if in acquiescence.

You didn't intend to comfort her, and you didn't know what to say.

You took two steps forward, then looked back at her and asked, "Can you stand up?"

She sniffed, looked up at you, and nodded: "Yes."

You wave the back of your phone at the "road ahead": "Let's go, let's climb up ourselves first."

"Wait a minute," the girl said.

You see the girl with a deathly pale face, but she grits her teeth and fearlessly pulls his backpack off a corpse.

What is this about? She quickly told you the answer.

She squatted down and carefully tucked Xiao Wu's still-soft legs into the two straps of the backpack. Then she squatted down herself, put on the straps, and fastened the buckle. Xiao Wu was now "sitting" on her back, her head softly resting on her shoulder and back, looking as if she had fallen asleep.

You stood there, watching all of this, your throat bobbing slightly, but ultimately no sound came out.

"Sister, I'm ready." Her voice was soft as she stretched her shoulders and back, finding the most comfortable position.

You turn around and, like a guide, say, "Okay, let's go."

The girl's name is Xiao Lu, and this is her first day of playing her first game, as is her friend Xiao Wu.

You briefly explained the situation regarding the dungeon to her, and Xiao Lu didn't respond much, but you knew she had listened, just didn't have the energy to say anything more.

Focus on your feet and climb up one after the other.

The train wasn't tilting too badly, but the floor was slippery and sticky. You didn't want to think about what caused it, since the subway floor was already so dirty that there was nowhere to step.

The biggest obstacles to your journey are the wreckage of seats, twisted handles, and shattered car windows—and, of course, dead bodies. You have to navigate this chaotic jumble of obstacles step by step.

Logically, the higher you go, the fresher the air should be, but the opposite is true. The smoke, thick with the smell of blood and dust, made every breath heavy.

That bright spot ahead seems to hang in a dream, so close yet forever out of reach.

You didn't expect Xiao Lu to keep up, but she was surprisingly steady. Even with the corpse on her back, she gritted her teeth and didn't fall behind.

Her breathing became increasingly rapid, but she remained silent. You could tell she was somewhat willing but unable to continue.

"Don't be reckless," you reminded him without turning your head.

“I know,” she said. “I don’t want her to be left here.”

You didn't reply. Yeah, what could you say?

You count the carriages you've already passed; this is the sixth one, and ahead lies a dark, endless expanse of subway carriages, seemingly countless more to come.

You know, the scene has already quietly begun.

You had just finished explaining to Xiao Lu what a "scene" was when suddenly your feet trembled.

"Click—long—"

You've never heard this sound before. If you had to describe it… it's like the rattling of metal? Like something has come loose, followed by a very slight vibration!

You instinctively gripped the handrail, lowering your center of gravity: "Xiao Lu, hold on tight!"

A startled "Huh!" came from behind.

But... a new round of crashes did not come.

Instead, a strange gurgling sound, like some liquid flowing underground, came from the bottom of the train. The sound was wet, sticky, and dense.

This time you can hear it clearly; it's chewing.

You slowly turn your head, raise your phone, and shine it towards the source of the sound.

A fleeting, subtle movement. The ground was moving. No, it was the corpse. No, it was beneath the corpse.

As the beam of light swept across, a dark shadow emerged from the corner of a corpse's mouth and swiftly disappeared into another pile of bloody remains.

Your flashlight beam swept back—and you saw it.

mouse.

The first one, the second one, the third one.

More and more of them are coming in; they didn't "crash" in from somewhere, they were already here.

Densely packed, clinging to the gaps in the carriages, the bottoms of trash cans, and fallen lunch boxes, a clan empire of rats flourished and expanded in the Los Angeles subway.

Now that their nest has been destroyed by the subway crash, they naturally swarm out to enjoy this gift from God.

Rats emerged one after another from the carcass' entrails and torn flesh—a large rat followed by an even larger one! They surged forth like a tidal wave!

You stood frozen in place, your throat dry and tight. Only one word popped into your mind: run.

But you didn't move. Your mind seemed frozen by the image.

Oh no! Everything was fine just now, and there were enough corpses for them to eat. You shouldn't have shone your flashlight on them!

The next second, all the rats suddenly stopped and raised their heads in unison.

Their eyes reflected a ghostly green light, shining like pustules from a nuclear mutation in the flashlight beam. In that instant, you thought of—the fancy rat blogger you saw on social media.

Those cute little mice are actually not much different from the dirty rats in the sewers; they are just as intelligent. It's just that when they are kept as pets, this intelligence is seen as human-like; when they are enemies, it is criticized as cunning.

You can be sure these rats are absolutely heinous terrorists.

"Run!" you shouted.

You don't know if you're shouting it to Xiao Lu or to yourself.

"Don't stop!" you yell, turning around and rushing forward.

Xiao Lu was taken aback. She wasn't used to obeying orders directly, but she was quick-witted enough to understand how terrible things were. So she hesitated for only half a second, didn't ask any questions, and started to follow you.

Xiao Wu, who was on her back, had his head drooping to one side, bouncing with Xiao Lu's steps.

"I'm sorry, please bear with me for now. I will definitely get you out of here." Xiao Lu finally understood what these rats meant, and she could no longer leave Xiao Wu here.

As she spoke to Xiao Wu, she was actually trying to comfort herself: "For you, for me, I will hold on."

"I can do it, I can still run, I'm not tired, I'm not tired..." She encouraged herself to steady her pace and breathing rhythm.

Listening to her self-encouragement, you felt much calmer. No turning around, no looking back—you didn't want to be cannon fodder collapsing on the ground like in a horror movie, so you ran at full speed!

The train carriages are long and straight, with almost no obstructions in front or behind except for the twisted parts caused by deformation, and you can see the faint light at the end at a glance.

However, after running a few steps, you realize that this is not a "flat road" - the subway car is inserted diagonally into the city's underground levels, and many cars are misaligned due to stress, with uneven floors, broken and misaligned, and damaged all over the ground.

Especially after the rats start chasing you, the floor presents you with far more difficulties than before.

The rat is like the starting point of some kind of level, but you strongly suspect that even if it's not a rat, there is something else. And the rat, compared to other possibilities, might be even less terrifying.

The first obstacle was the collapsed seat.

With a single leap, you stepped onto the back of the chair and then over two slanted steel beams. Xiao Lu followed closely behind, raising his arms to protect Xiao Wu's head. He squeezed and leaped through the gap and miraculously caught up without a scratch.

You feel a little more at ease, but you dare not linger.

The rustling sound behind me grew louder and louder. The rats leaped over the pile of corpses and nimbly moved between the seats. The swarm of rats flowed as quickly as liquid.

"Left!" you yell, shining your flashlight in that direction.

The right side of the carriage ahead was completely sunken, looking like a battlefield. Without thinking, you turned left and jumped onto a row of metal seats against the wall that had already detached from their welds.

With each jump and each landing, a violent tremor emanated from the soles of your feet. The damaged subway wreckage, unable to bear the weight, could be felt subtly swaying.

You can't help but shout, "Xiao Lu! Are you alright?" Actually, you're worried that your jump might affect the condition of the subway!

"Not bad!" she shouted through the night, her voice audible, tinged with gasps and a hint of pain.

You all rely on yelling to get your energy up.

She's still just a kid at heart; though she's full of energy, she's not as tough and resilient as you, who's been through thick and thin.

Besides, in order to protect Xiao Wu, Xiao Lu couldn't run completely freely; he still had to use one hand to hold onto the straps tightly.

You glanced at her as you turned the corner and saw that the rats behind her had caught up—the first few, the fastest ones, were now less than five meters away from you!

You're the one leading the way, so you can only quicken your pace and leap to the next carriage.

Ahead lay a broken ceiling—several detached fluorescent tubes and aluminum ceiling panels lay horizontally in the air like blades, swaying precariously as if they could randomly sever the heads of lucky people.

You suddenly slide down and crouch low, passing underneath, a pungent smell of burning, rotting plastic hitting you.

Xiao Lu followed suit, moving nimbly. When he lowered his head, he even used his hand to cover the back of Xiao Wu's head, bending over to pass through together.

Almost simultaneously, the instant you climbed out of the obstacle, a huge rat sprang up from behind and pounced on the ceiling panel. It squeaked and made as if to pounce directly at you.

Its claws failed to grip the metal! It lost its balance and fell, then was unhesitatingly swallowed up by the swarm of rats behind it.

No turning back! No looking back!

At this moment, you also realize that you escaped not just because you ran fast, but because you were too focused—your movements were highly synchronized, and your instincts led to the most rational reaction.

You feel like you and Xiao Lu are practically "partners"!

Every second requires absolute control over the space.

Every jump is a gamble with your life.

You even forgot the pain for a moment, only the rhythm of your feet and the frequency of your heart pounding in your chest remained.

The further you go in the carriage, the brighter the light becomes, and the more oxygen there is.

Really? You're just going to run away like that?!

Even if you were indeed nearing the exit, both of you, who were more or less injured, were inevitably growing weaker and weaker.

Your breathing is labored, and your lungs feel like they're on fire.

It's probably the joy of seeing the light and the sudden relaxation that brings out all the discomfort from the frantic running—dry mouth, cracked lips, sore back and legs, and painful soles of the feet.

You suddenly remember that in a recent instance, you had run a similar path—you had to tumble down the slope because of a sprained ankle, and when you got up, your mouth was full of gravel and the taste of blood. And now, you're still running it.

But you dare not slow down—death lies behind you.

Suddenly, a steel frame came to rest on the floor, partially blocking the passage. Without a second thought, you grabbed the edge of the frame with one hand and flipped over, your leg scraping against the sharp edge and drawing blood.

After you jump over, you turn around and shout, "Step on my shoulder!"

Xiao Lu didn't play games with you. Without hesitation, he stepped on your shoulder as you squatted down, and with the other foot on the back of the seat, he flipped over.

As soon as she landed, you rushed over: "Quick!"

In the next carriage, debris was scattered everywhere. Broken fire extinguishers, scattered first-aid kits, shattered glass... You practically forced your way through the shards and spikes.

You notice that one of the first aid kits has a label that reads "Informal Lockdown Zone" in the Los Angeles Metro's usual font, with blurry English letters that look like a mockery.

This is not escaping hell; it is traversing the most chaotic underbelly of the city, passing through the ruins of an entire collapsed system.

The flashlight suddenly flickered—the battery was almost gone.

"Wait!" You stopped on a corner platform, forcing yourself to catch your breath. "The lights are about to run out of power!"

"It's okay, we can still see!" Xiao Lu said, leaning against the wall, his face pale, but his eyes remained bright.

"Hang in there a little longer!" you yell.

"She's still here!" Xiao Lu cried out. "Even if it's just for her sake, I have to take her out!"

Yes, this is the vision of three people!

Accelerate again, until—

You can see the light ahead is really moving.

It's not your flashlights, it's outside light—real searchlights! Those must be the lights of the rescue team, right in front of the vehicle, with light shining in at an angle from above!

"See that? The exit!" Your eyes lit up.

"I saw it!" Xiao Lu shouted.

You ran towards the light source with almost all your might, while the surging black tide relentlessly pursued you from behind.

You can't turn back, you can only run.

Because you know that in this relentless, forward-rushing escape, if you slow down even by half a second, you will be swallowed up.

—But you are still alive.

You still have the energy to keep running.

We are still striving, moving towards that glimmer of hope for a way out.

Then, when you actually run into the light, you find...

You've returned to square one.

The very first carriage.

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Author's Note: Apologies for the stale synopsis and bad plot (:-P) Keep it up, Da Hu, you can do it! Don't be lazy, I'll finish this little story soon and move on to the next chapter!!! (Just realized this chapter is all about relatively longer "big stories," it's so long!)