Apocalypse Trade Monopoly
Chapter 44: :Running on Empty

Chapter 44: :Running on Empty

Ava was almost done.

The last rifle lay half-assembled on her workspace, power core humming softly as her Blueprint System finalized the repairs.

[REPAIR SUCCESSFUL]

[MODIFIED ENERGY OUTPUT: +12%]

[STABILITY: OPTIMAL]

Ava sighed, rolling her shoulders.

Two full days of nothing but fixing, upgrading, and waiting.

William hadn’t returned yet.

But someone else had.

Because just as she reached for the next piece—The door swung open.

Ava’s head snapped up.

Lucas Bai stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame like he had barely made it there.

His clothes were wrecked—his usual combat jacket missing, his undershirt torn and darkened with dirt and something thicker.

His gear?

Completely destroyed.

Ava’s stomach clenched.

But before she could say anything—

"Food."

Lucas’s voice was hoarse, edged with exhaustion.

Ava blinked. "What?"

Lucas stepped inside, golden eyes sharper than they should’ve been considering the state he was in.

"Food, Zhang. I need it."

Ava’s eyes flicked over him again.

His stance was loose—but not in his usual lazy way.

Like he was on the edge of collapse but refusing to show it.

Which meant he had pushed himself. Hard.

Ava exhaled sharply, shoving her tools aside.

"Sit down. I’ll get something."

Lucas didn’t argue.

Which meant he was really bad off.

Ava moved toward the kitchen, thoughts racing.

He had been gone a week.

And by the look of him?

Whatever he had walked into had nearly torn him apart.

Ava dragged the grocery crate in front of him and popped the lid open.

"Eat," she ordered.

Lucas arched a brow, still slumped in his chair, but didn’t argue.

He reached in, grabbed a protein bar, and tore into the wrapper.

Ava watched as he took a bite, chewing like he had been starved for days.

Which, considering the state he was in?

He probably had been.

Ava sighed, rolling her shoulders as she turned toward the kitchen.

Bars were fine, but they weren’t real food.

And Lucas Bai needed something real.

She grabbed the cans from the crate—every last one.

Then, instead of dumping them into a pot like she usually would, she reached for the dried pasta, the small stash of seasonings she had tucked away.

Her mother used to make this.

Ava’s fingers moved without thinking—pouring the broth, cooking the noodles just right, seasoning everything until it actually smelled like something worth eating.

Lucas didn’t say anything as he finished his third protein bar.

But when the scent hit the air—

His head lifted.

Ava smirked. "Thought you were half-dead. Still got energy to sniff out food?"

Lucas’s golden eyes gleamed, but his voice was lazy.

"Beauty, I could be dying and still smell something worth eating."

Ava rolled her eyes, but she didn’t miss the way his expression shifted—just a flicker of something like nostalgia.

She ladled the soup into a bowl, setting it in front of him.

Lucas blinked.

Then—his gaze flicked to her.

"You actually cooked."

Ava crossed her arms. "Don’t make it weird. Eat."

Lucas didn’t need to be told twice.

He picked up the spoon, took a bite—

And for a moment, he just sat there.

Then, slowly—he exhaled.

"Damn."

Ava smirked. "Better than protein bars, huh?"

Lucas huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head.

But he didn’t argue.

Instead—he ate.

And for the first time since walking in, he looked like he was finally grounding himself again.

Lucas pushed his empty bowl away, sighing like he’d just been brought back from the dead.

Then—he stood.

"Shower." His voice was still hoarse, but stronger now.

Ava snorted. "Yeah, you smell like you lost a fight with a sewer."

Lucas grinned, unbothered. "You should see the other guys."

Ava rolled her eyes but didn’t stop him as he disappeared into the bathroom.

The second the door clicked shut, she turned to his gear.

Or what was left of it.

She grabbed the ruined vest first—military-grade plating, but the left side was completely destroyed, melted like it had taken a direct energy hit.

Her Blueprint System flared instantly, running a scan.

[SCANNING DAMAGED ARMOR...]

[IMPACT TYPE: PLASMA-BASED WEAPONRY]

[PROTECTION RATING: 0%]

[REPAIR STATUS: NON-RECOVERABLE]

Ava’s jaw tightened.

So much for salvaging that.

She moved on to his weapons. His primary knife was still intact, but the grip was worn down. His sidearm? Useless. The barrel was warped beyond repair.

Ava exhaled sharply. Lucas Bai hadn’t just been in a bad fight—

He had barely walked away from it.

She reached for the last piece—his watch. Tactical model. The one he always wore.

Her Blueprint System scanned instantly.

[SCANNING DEVICE...]

[STATUS: DEACTIVATED]

[SYSTEM LINK: INACTIVE]

[UPGRADE HISTORY: 1 SUCCESSFUL, 1 FAILED]

Ava narrowed her eyes.

So his system had tried to enhance it again.

And like before—it had broken instead.

Ava leaned back, fingers drumming against the table.

Lucas Bai played things close to the chest.

But this?

This was evidence.

Evidence that he had pushed himself too far.

Ava exhaled slowly, glancing toward the bathroom door as steam started drifting out from under it.

Fine.

She’d let him clean up.

But the second he walked out?

She was getting some answers.

The bathroom door swung open, releasing a wave of steam.

Ava glanced up just as Lucas Bai stepped out—hair damp, dressed in his usual black shirt and combat pants. Standard.

His movements were loose, casual—but she wasn’t fooled.

He was running on fumes.

Lucas didn’t say a word.

Didn’t glance at his ruined gear. Didn’t ask what she was doing.

He just... walked straight past her.

Ava’s brows furrowed. "Bai?"

Lucas ignored her.

He crossed the room in three slow steps, then—

Dropped onto her bed.

Ava stared.

Lucas let out a long breath, shifting just enough to get comfortable. His golden eyes flickered open, locking onto her with lazy amusement.

"You fixed everything already, right?"

Ava crossed her arms. "That’s not the point."

Lucas closed his eyes again. "Then what’s the point, Beauty?"

Ava scowled. "That’s my bed."

Lucas smirked, voice muffled by the pillow.

"Not anymore."

Ava’s eye twitched.

She should kick him off but she didn’t instead.

She watched as his breathing evened out—tension finally bleeding from his body.

Lucas Bai was deep asleep mid conversation.