HA\LF: Dead nor Alive

“What are you talking about?” Faye was perplexed by what she just heard.

“It’s complicated, but I’m telling you the truth. I’m Hendrick Fischer in your memories, and that’s why I know everything about you, Aster, Professor Larse, Marshal Flavius, Iohann, and everything about the Western Nation,” Archie answered.

“There are so many things that I wanted to ask you. This time, I need all the answers and you have to be honest with me once we are done here,” Faye said with a serious expression while she was still in shock at the truth.

Archie nodded his head with understanding.

It wasn’t that long since they left the city, but the moment they entered the wall, chaos was spreading all over the Central Nation. Buildings were destroyed, people were running around aimlessly because they were scared of whatever was happening at that moment.

“What’s going on here?” Faye asked as she looked out the window and saw smoke and fire everywhere.

“I’m not sure, but it could be Eve, but I could be wrong,” Ruby answered as she drove the car so slowly and carefully since people were crowding the street.

While they were looking around, they heard gunshots from three different directions. At first, Archie thought that everything that happened in the city was because of Eve, but after hearing the gunshots, he doubted it was all Eve was doing.

“Now what? Where should find them?” Ruby asked as she parked the car not far from the headquarters.

“I will go back inside and find them,” Faye said as she unbuckled and stared at the headquarters.

“Seriously? Is that what you came up with?” Ruby stared at Faye with disbelief.

“It’s the only way, and I believe they’re in the barrack right now, or at least somewhere around the headquarters,” Faye said as she opened the door. “You guys stay here, I can go in there on my own,” Faye said as she closed the door and stared at them from the window.

Archie and Ruby watched Faye cross the street as she hid her face in a hat.

“You should go there with her, Archie,” Ruby said.

“What about you?” Archie asked.

“I will be fine, I still have your sword here. I can protect myself,” Ruby answered as she looked at Archie. “Now go, I don’t want to be in here for too long,”

Archie nodded and then left the car to catch up with Faye.

Archie casually changed his appearance as he pretended to fix his hat and walked across the street.

“Faye, wait for me,” Archie said as he approached Faye.

“You shouldn’t come, I can do this on my own,” Faye said as she took a short glimpse at Archie, but then she realized his face was totally different. “Wait, who, Archie?” Faye asked as she furrowed her eyebrows and leaned away from him.

“You saw Eve changed her appearance, what makes it look so surprise now?” Archie asked as he walked next to Faye. “Anyway, stay behind my back, I will protect you,” Archie said as he walked to the front and hid Faye with his body.

Faye did as Archie told her and hid behind his back as they entered the headquarters.

“Hey! Stop right there!” A soldier said as he approached Archie from his post.

Archie stood still, and when the soldier was close enough, he punched the guy in the face and knocked him out instantly. Archie grabbed the soldier’s pistol and sub-machine gun, he gave the pistol to Faye, and then they both entered the headquarters.

They went right straight to the barracks, and saw soldiers were leaving with their weapons on their waists and backs. Faye looked into one of the barracks and found two of her men were preparing to leave.

“John, Erel!” Faye called.

“Lieutenant Colonel?! You should leave! Everyone is searching for you,” John said.

“No, you both come with me. I’m not the only one who’s in danger, but you guys and the rest of the team is in danger!” Faye replied as she looked outside the barrack through the window. “Where are the others?” Faye asked.

“They were sent by Marshal Gard to look for you on the station in the north. We are also about to leave and go there,” John answered.

“Fuck! You guys come with me! Let’s bring the others back, because there’s a chance that you guys will be used for an experiment,” Faye said.

Both John and Erel were confused and surprised at the same time.

Archie looked in the distance and saw a small group of soldiers were walking toward them with guns in their hands. He squinted his eyes and could tell they were ready to shoot him by the way they put their fingers on the trigger.

“You guys need to leave, now! You have been spotted, Faye,” Archie said.

Before Faye could respond to Archie’s words, he started shooting the soldiers, but he only shot three men while the rest of them started to respond and shoot him back.

Faye, John, and Erel were ducking and protecting their heads with their arms. They watched Archie firing the sub-machine gun nonstop as he kept moving forward and dodging the bullets.

“Come on! Let’s use the back door!” Faye said as she ran to the back.

Because of the gunshots, it attracted the other soldiers and hurriedly went to the barracks to check what had happened. Archie who dealt with the group of soldiers, he immediately changed his appearance again and pretended to be one of them. He misled the soldiers by telling them there was a rat among the soldiers and that the rat was hiding in one of the barracks.

Archie pretended to help the medic carry the dead bodies of the soldiers, and then he left the headquarters so casually. He then saw Faye, John, and Erel were stealthily running back to the car, and he followed them from behind.

Faye was surprised that Archie was already there with them, but she didn’t say a word and entered the car.

Faye told Ruby and asked her to go to the north side of the city to pick up the rest of Faye’s men.

On their way there, they saw VMC’s building in the distance, and they were shocked when they saw the top of the building was gone. Now Ruby, Faye, and Archie knew what had happened and who did that.

Turned out, some soldiers were killing the guards or mercenaries from the VMC based on what John heard. They whole chaos was because of that, and now the soldiers and the mercenaries were fighting against each other.

They had no idea how that happened, but they knew Eve was the one who started it. The most important question was, did Eve steal something or did she not, because it would be great if she did steal the hard disk from the VMC’s main building since all the secrets should be inside that hard disk.

“Lieutenant Colonel, didn’t we just leave that guy that came with you behind? Is he going to be alright?” John asked.

“Oh, he should be fine. He’s someone from a secret service and he just came to help me get you guys,” Faye answered and lied without hesitation.

Ruby suddenly hit the break and looked to her right.

“That’s Prince and Resse,” Ruby said.

Archie looked at the crossroads and saw Prince and Resse were fighting against the mercenaries. They both looked like they were in trouble, and he immediately got out of the car to help them.

“Just leave, I will go with them back to the safehouse,” Archie said as he cocked the pistol.

Ruby hit the gas and left immediately.

Archie shot his pistols at the mercenaries in the head and killed them all in an instant. Both Prince and Resse were surprised to see someone come to help them, and then they were more surprised to see Archie who helped them.

“Long time no see, you two,” Archie said as he crossed the road and put the gun in the back of his pants. “What are you guys doing here?” Archie asked.

“Marshal Marlon, we are clearing the area,” Prince answered as he wiped the blood from his nose. “What are you doing here? I thought you guys already in the safehouse,” Prince asked back.

“There are people that need to be saved, Faye’s men to be exact,” Archie answered. “Anyway, I will be joining you both. I need a ride back to the safehouse,”

“Glad that you’re joining us here,” Resse said as she reloaded her gun. “Let’s move out and clear out the street. There will be more of them soon,” Resse continued.

“I need ammo,” Archie said.

“Go to the alleyway back there, we brought more than enough ammo,” Resse replied.

Archie ran into the alleyway and saw a big bag filled with bullets. He grabbed his cartridge and loaded it with bullets. He then grabbed a handful of bullets and put it inside all the pockets on his uniform and pants.

“Alright, I’m good to go,” Archie said as he cocked his pistol.