Chapter 6: Start
"..."
The three girls couldn't help but look at Karl in surprise. His punch was so fast they couldn't even see him move, the only thing they saw is his current position with his fist passing through the holographic screen.
They didn't know whether to be amazed by this or laugh at how stupid it seemed to them. But with the strange situation at hand, they decided to just ask him instead.
"Sweetie, why did you suddenly punch it?" Sophie looked at Karl with a confused face, her two daughters mimicking her expression while nodding their heads.
Karl looked at them for a second then back at his fist. He pulled back his hand and returned to a normal position while saying in a casual voice, "Ohh, I just did it by instinct. Don't mind me."
His answer made the three remember that this guy is a true battle maniac, and most likely he improved drastically during his time in the military.
When they thought of this, they nodded in understanding as they exclaimed together, "Ohhh right, we forgot your a battle maniac."
"..."
Karl is left speechless due to their words. He couldn't help but say, "Is that a compliment or not?"
In response to his words, Sophie, Lucy and Jannah glared at him in the eye and said simultaneously, "What do you think?"
He started having cold sweats when he felt the glare from them. Karl said in a half joking tone while awkwardly laughing and scratching his neck, "Hahaha, I'll take that as a compliment then."
This only made the three girls roll their eyes at him.
After that small banter, all of them then turned their attention back towards the crux of the matter, the holographic screen as they turned serious.
"It looks like something big is happening. Do you have any idea where these came from mom?" Karl looked around and noticed that all the people in the mall started getting noisy and he saw the same black screen in front of them. He asked his mom since she is a scientist. That's why out of them all, she has the highest chance to know where these came from.
"Let me look into it." Sophie said to her children, to which they nodded. They looked at her as she tapped her watch and a blue holographic screen appeared above it. Then she focused on the screen and manipulated it tapping and sliding across the screen.
Karl and Jannah didn't even bother to continue looking. They have absolutely no idea on what she is doing because they aren't as intelligent as hers. Only Lucy who has the same intelligence to her mother is the one to still look at what Sophie is doing while interest flashed in her eyes.
Karl, knowing that his mom would take quite some time before she finishes, decided to do something as well. He looked at his sisters and said to them, "I'll just call someone I know from the military, maybe they have an idea on what's happening."
The two sisters nodded at him. He directly called someone from the military without even bothering to get some distance from his family, because he trusts them not to share any sensitive information and he was too lazy about it. The two sisters and even Sophie noticed this small detail and that made them smile.
He tapped his own watch and navigated to the calling app in the screen. He tapped a profile named Danny. Danny is a dear friend of his in the military. They have always gone to the same missions ever since they got into the same group after Karl had been in the military for 1 year already.
Due to experiencing many life death situations together, friendship is born between them. Even still now that Karl retired from the military. The only reason why he didn't call him yet is because he wanted to focus on his family yet.
But now is the right situation to check up on his friend.
After a few rings, the other person in the line finally answered and said, "Hey dude what's up."
Hearing his friend, Karl smiled while reminiscing their time together on those missions. But he didn't forget his agenda. Karl replied, "You know, like what I told you before I left, just spending my time with my family. Anyways, Dan, do-"
"You know what's up with these black screens that suddenly popped up out of nowhere?" Danny interrupted Karl midway while sounding playful.
Karl sighed which made Danny laugh. "Hahahaha, I'm just messin with you dude."
Danny laughed for a few more seconds which made Karl shook his head at the playfulness of his friend, though he never disliked this part of him.
Danny said after composing himself, "Hehe sorry about that. Uhmm back to your question. We don't really know yet what's happening. Though one thing is certain. It's that this is happening all over the world."
Karl frowned the moment he heard it. "It looks like this isn't some mere prank by some group huh?"
Danny answered, "I'm afraid that this is not a simple prank dude. If you haven't already noticed it yet, the sky is projecting those same screens that is right in front of us. But what makes things really serious is we can't remove it no matter what. We can only move it but it follows us wherever we go. Even those disabling things, whatever the heck their name is, can't make it disappear."
Karl's frown deepened. The disabling thing that Danny was talking about is just a simple device that would disrupt all electric devices in the vicinity. Even Karl called it that way since the official name is so long.
"Do you know anything else?" Karl asked again.
"The only thing I haven't mentioned yet is that all of the countries are planning to have a meeting in order to discuss this issue. I think this will also be made live because the higher ups know that they can't cover up such a huge matter and also, an Apocalypse ain't really a good thing you know?"
"Hmmm... thanks for letting me know Dan. I have something to do right now so I can't talk to you more. Sorry about that."
"Hahaha, don't worry about it. I know that you missed your family for 2 years. I'm ok really, stop over thinking things. Just relax and have fun."
"Ok thanks a lot man. See you next time. Also, Sally!" Karl said in a loud voice at the end.
"Ohhh shit-"
Kark chuckled when he heard Danny curse before hanging up. Then he looked at his mother and sisters who is currently glaring at him.
"Uhhhh what is it?" he is confused because they were glaring at him and the reason? He didn't have any clue at all.
Sophie, Lucy and Jannah spoke in a cold voice, "Who is Sally?"
Karl answered in a questioning voice, "Ehh? Ohh she's the crush of my friend. Why are you guys mad anyways?"
Their expression softened sightly when they heard Karl. They shook their head and said, back to their usual tone, "Nothing much, just curious."
"Ok?" Kark is doubtful about what they said but remembering Danny's word, he got back to the topic, "Anyways..."
When the three saw Karl not noticing anything amiss, all the girls thought, 'Should I be happy that sweetie/Karl/big bro is so dense?'
They focused back on Karl as he said seriously, "This isn't a small thing. I heard from my friend that this is happening to the whole world, and he said that all the countries higher ups would have a live meeting later that is open to the public."
"Are they really planning to share it to the public? Ain't that like... bad?" Jannah said confused.
Sophie answered Jannah's question, "Well they don't have any choice honey. If they don't do this, all the people will rage since the message says Apocalypse. How could they calm down knowing that this might be serious and if they don't know what's going on."
Jannah's eyes lit up at her mother's reply as she understood immediately what her mother meant.
Lucy turned towards her mother and said, "How about you mom? Did you gain some info in this thing?"
Sophie shook her head. "Unfortunately no. I couldn't track down the source of this thing at all. I couldn't even destroy it because it doesn't release any magnetic waves at all. It looks like its made out of a completely different... thing and I have no idea whatsoever on what that thing is."
The siblings all frowned immediately and they were shocked inwardly. They couldn't believe that even their mom, a genius scientist don't know what the screen is made of.
Karl said to his mom, "Mom, let's stock up on essentials just to be safe. I have a bad feeling about this."
His words brought the girls back from their thoughts. They nodded without saying anything more and rushed towards the supermarket.
The moment they entered, they saw a lot of people rushing back and forth as they tried to buy as many items as they can.
They all looked at each other and nodded as they separated and go in different directions. Sophie on the electric supplies like batteries, Lucy on medicines and other stuff, Karl on some random things that they may need that could be useful like rope and such, then finally Jannah for foods and water.
They all met up at the counter and after a long wait, finally managed to pay for it all. Then they headed home immediately.
Once they reached their home, they organise everything they brought while listening to the live broadcast that is showing the meeting between the higher ups of all the country.
"I'll just go upstairs and take something in my room." Karl said to the three girls and they immediately nodded without asking anything since they knew all of Karl's actions have purpose.
Karl entered his room and took out his pistol from the suitcase that he got from the military. Good thing that he managed to take home 4 pistols, one for each of his family. At that time he thought that it will be good for protection. He just didn't expect that they might need to use it so soon.
Going downstairs, he looked for his mother and sisters and saw them in the kitchen, about to finish organising the things.
"Mom, sis, Jannah, here take this." as Karl caught their attention, he handed them one pistol each.
When the three girls saw what Karl is giving them, their bodies trembled for a moment.
Sophie stuttered a bit when she asked Karl, "Swe-sweetie... do we really need this?"
Karl understood their concerns so he got closer and hugged them all together. He comforted them, "Yes. You guys might need it because we don't have any idea on what the hell's happening."
"But Karl..." Lucy said to Karl but she hesitated at the end.
Karl looked at them and smiled, "Don't worry, I'm not asking you to kill someone ok? This is only for self protection and deterrent against others. Besides-"
Karl changed his tone into a worried one, "I can't assure that I will always be by your sides."
They trembled even harder as they hugged Karl tightly while their eyes started tearing up, this time Jannah is the one to speak, "You-your not gonna leave again right? Right big bro?"
His heart tightened when he saw them like that. Karl hugged them even tighter and said to them, "No I won't. I had enough of leaving you three for 2 years. That's why I'm not gonna leave your side. Ever."
"Promise us then. That you won't leave us." The three said simultaneously, their eyes not telling him that they wouldn't take no for an answer.
Karl smiled and said resolutely, "I promise."
*Ding
Right as he said that, a loud bell like sound appeared all over the world while the huge screen in the sky and in front of all the people showed the words.
[Apocalypse is starting: NOW!]
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
zekhe
zekhe So after reading some suggestions for the nicknames, I decided to stick with what I have currently. Because this shows what a normal family calls each other, well at least this is what my RL family do. But it might change when they go into sweet home alabama though. Thanks for being understanding to me. Also sorry again for the late update.
Thank you all again and have a great wonderful day :)
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