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Harper heaved as his fingers tightened around her throat. She grabbed his wrist with both hands and began kicking her feet.

"I was going to spare you," He sneered. "You were the only one that didn't have a weapon. Now that you're up and awake, I guess that makes you think you can do whatever you please."

His eyes were red. Literally. The glow from his pupils terrified her.

Harper dropped the pistol as her vision began to fade. Tears cascaded down her face as she saw her life flash before her eyes.

"Please! Please..." Harper croaked.

"I don't like the sound of begging. It's so annoying. Why don't you just go peacefully?"

Harper was about to succumb to her fate until she saw his eyes widen. He dropped her and stepped back.

Harper began coughing heavily, gasping for air. When she came to her senses, she reached for the pistol and aimed it at him.

The man was crouched over, clasping onto the side of his neck. His jaw clenched, and he began letting out strings of curses. He began to cough and dry heave, before snarling out a throaty yell.

Harper placed her finger on the trigger, but she was finding it hard to pull. The man was in pain. Harper noticed a red scar that poked out from his cloak. His fingers covered most of it, but it was obvious that he was harmed somehow.

Harper dropped her gun and rushed over to a cabinet full of medicine. The first thing she grabbed was a pain patch that would neutralize wherever the pain was. They kept them in case Yanpu ever had complications.

Harper dropped onto her knees next to the man who was grunting. The moment she reached for him, the blade of one of his swords grazed against her skin.

It was so sharp that a small cut opened on her cheek, and a small droplet of blood ran down.

"I'm trying to help y-you!" Harper bit her lip anxiously.

"If you... poison me..." He narrowed his eyes at her and spat through a clenched jaw.

"It's a pain patch." Harper shook her head and moved his hand away from his scar. When she stuck the patch to his skin, his body fell against the wall.

The glow in his eyes dimmed, but they remained the red color. His breathing softened, and Harper frowned. The man stood up and Harper followed.

Without another word, he took a step toward Yanpu. Harper quickly stood in front of him to block his way. "I don't know who you are. But I helped you. Please spare us."

The man scoffed. "Move out of my way."

"Spare us!" Harper clasped her hands together. She felt herself being shoved aside. Rather than paying attention to her, he focused on Yanpu.

He snatched up Yanpu's arm and turned it over. Harper didn't know what he was searching for, but it was taking everything within her not to grab the gun and shoot this man.

"You'll be dead before you attempt." The man voiced, barely sparing a glance at her.

"Attempt what?" Harper huffed. Could he read her mind? Did he hear what she was thinking?

The man chortled sarcastically before turning to face her. He walked ahead and dragged Yanpu with him down the hall. Harper sprinted after him.

"Where are you taking him?!" Who was this guy? What gave him the mind to think it was okay to kidnap? It didn't matter. Harper wasn't going to let it happen.

"Are you listening to me!?" Harper reached for his arm to stop him, but he drew his blade at her again and held the tip of it under her chin.

"I sparred you." He seethed. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"I did. But I won't let you take him!"

"You're so bold now." His tone darkened. "Do you need a reminder of your place? Try and Stop me, I won't go easy on you."

"I helped you!"

"And?"

"And? Shouldn't you feel some remorse? Some indebted gratitude?"

"Amusing." His lips curled into a devilish smirk. "You didn't do shite. This patch is just a bandaid."

"It neutralizes the pain."

"Keep talking, my blade loves severing off the tongues of vixens like you."

Harper opened her mouth to say something, but closed it, fearing he would actually cut off her tongue.

The sound of armored boots echoed down the hall. As they approached, Harper caught a glimpse of Dr. Bomb. He and several fighters on the security team stopped in front of them.

"Drop the weapon!" Bomb shouted. The assault rifle in his hands clicked as he positioned his finger at the trigger.

"How revolting..." He slid his sword away from Harper and used it to point at them. "You haven't changed at all."

"Drop the weapon, Hyde. We've got you surrounded."

Harper looked back and forth to both men. Was it really Hyde? How terrifying. If this was the missing fighter from a decade ago, then there was no hope.

"How about you drop your toys, and I'll make sure to end you quickly." He licked his lips. "Or you can die slowly. I'm not picky with my kills."

"Release the boy." Bomb was the first to take a step forward. "Let's talk things through."

"I never was much of a talker." Hyde released Yanpu's arm and drew his other sword.

Hyde darted forward and began to swing. Several clips of bullets were released, and Harper ran to shield Yanpu. She covered his ears and used her shoulder to block him from seeing all of the violence.

Hyde slashed through all of the fighters, impaling multiple men and cutting off their limps. The bullets bounced off his sword effortlessly. Bomb backed away in a panic, but Hyde refused to let him go.

Bomb slammed his palm onto a large button on the wall that read "IN CASE OF EMERGENCY". Large walls separated Hyde from the rest of them. Then the robotic voice made an announcement.

"System's Oxygen Diminishing."

"Run!" Bomb snatched Harper's hand into his and dashed away from the lock. She looked over her shoulder. She could see that Hyde was gasping for air.

Angrily, he began striking the walls.

They kept running until they reached the elevator. Bomb nudged them both inside but stepped out before the doors closed.

"You're not coming?" Harper parted her lips in shock.

"It's just as I suspected." Bomb shook his head. "Hyde is after the boy. Do your best to protect him!"

"Dr. Bomb!"

"The locks won't keep him for long. You have to leave the facility. Remember, Yanpu is the key to Westona's survival."

"I can't just leave you here! He'll kill you!"

"I'll be fine. Someone has to keep him occupied for as long as possible. Get out and get somewhere safe! Okay?" Bomb pressed the button that closed the doors. Harper tried to think of what came next as they were transported to ground level.

"Yani, this will be the first time you go outside." Harper bit her lip anxiously. "Don't be nervous, okay?"

"I'm not." Yanpu shook his head and flashed her a soft smile. It comforted her. What a strong little boy he was.

"The outside world looks a lot different from what you've seen in pictures. Hold onto my hand. Don't be scared. I'll keep you safe."

"Okay."

When the elevator doors opened, they were faced with even more dead bodies sprawled about. Harper covered Yanpu's eyes as they stepped over severed heads, sliced in half corpses and impale wounds.

It took everything within her power not to vomit. There were oxygen masks hanging by the exit. Harper took one and placed it over Yanpu's nose and mouth. She did the same for herself before typing a code into the security pad.

The doors opened, and she picked up the boy before running out. There was a long line of vehicles stationed. She rushed by every single one of them.

Harper searched for the fastest car. She spotted a Van nearby and rushed over to it.

Yanpu stared in awe at all the dark fog in the air. It was a shock for sure. Westona lacked enough oxygen. The air was always filled with heavy pollution or dark smoke clouds.

A major catastrophe from a century earlier caused the tragedy.

Harper reached for the door handle, but a sharp blade stopped her from going any further.

"Hyde," Harper felt her breath get stuck in her throat. The streetlight bounced off the sharp material as he tilted it.

"Alas, the vixen is aware of my presence." He raised his head high to get a better look at her. "What now? Got nothing to say after that trick you pulled back there?"

"I thought you said you weren't much of a talker."

"Oh, you're just asking for a severed tongue," Hyde snagged her up by her lab coat and pulled her close.

She screeched in response. The flat side of his sword glazed across her cheek and halted at her neck. "Or would cutting out your vocal cords be better?"

Harper never doubted that he was serious. The look in his eyes was nothing short of a monster. The red glow was meant to instill fear.

She felt herself being shoved into the Van. Her back smacked into the glass, breaking the windows. Her vision went completely black after that.

~~~

The sound of steady beeping triggered Harper into awareness. The moment her eyes opened, her pupils came into direct contact with a piercing white light.

She turned her head and felt a tight pain in the back of her neck. She naturally responded by grunting, and that's when she realized that her throat was dry.

She ran her tongue over her lips in an attempt to dampen them, but she wanted water. She needed it.

She pushed herself up.

Harper was lying on a black cot. A tall lamp next to her had a light that flickered on and off. The sound of the buzzing and clicking irritated her.

"Where... am I?" Harper rubbed her eyes as she tried to get a clear view of her environment. The blurry splotches formed into defined objects.

She moaned and stood up. Her body immediately dropped to the concrete floor.

She couldn't feel her legs. Because of the fall, her palms scraped against the ground and began bleeding. "What the heck?" Harper grunted.

She tried to push herself off the ground, but her lower frame was failing her.

"I wouldn't move around if I were you," The chilling voice rang in her ear. Harper glanced up, and she saw Hyde standing over her.

"You," Harper huffed. "Where's Yanpu? What did you do to him?!"

"That's none of your concern."

Harper clutched onto his right leg and dragged herself closer to him. "Tell me where he is! I swear, if you hurt him, I'll—"

Harper shrieked when she felt herself being hoisted up and thrown back onto the cot. Hyde placed his hand dangerously close to her neck. Harper's lips shut tight.

"You've been injected with an anesthetic to limit your movement."

His eyes narrowed, "Keep it up I'll make sure that your legs aren't the only things you can't feel."

"Why are you doing this?" Harper whined.

"Tell me your access code to get into the Facility's records."

Harper raised her eyebrows. Why did he need to know her code? "What?"

"I won't repeat it again."

"No." Harper refused.

Hyde's bulky hand clasped around her neck immediately. Harper gasped. A soft whine left her when he pulled her close.

"The access code." Hyde's eyes began to glow.

"N..." Harper slid her fingers up and tried to pry his hands off. "N...." She wheezed.

"Say it."

Harper responded with coughs.

"No..."

"You'll die." Hyde rolled his eyes and shoved her down so she was lying flat on the cot. Harper's muffled cries bounced off the walls. It was a miserable sound.

"P...please... H-Hyde..." Harper winced.

"Access Code."

"2..."

"2?" Hyde raised a brow, still clutching her throat.

"4..." Her vision began to blur. Hyde loosened his grip. It was just enough for her to get a little air.

"The entire thing. Now."

Harper heaved, "2... 4... 20... 18..."

Hyde released her completely, and she sucked in a large breath.

Harper reached for her neck. Her shoulders rose up and down quickly as her vision steadied.

"If the code is incorrect, I will finish what I started."

"It's not..." Harper shook her head.

"It better not be." Hyde raised his hand and smacked Harper on the back of her head. Her body went limp. Hyde tossed her feet aside and laid her back.

When he finished, he walked out of the room and locked the door behind him.

~~~

Harper wasn't sure how long it had been since she had been there. It felt like days. Her memory was foggy, but she knew that there were times of the day when she was conscious.

Splotches of a mysterious figure moving around remained permanent in her mind. Her head was in a lot of pain.

Although her memory was jumbled in a mess, she knew one thing for sure. She was hungry.

Harper knew she needed to find food or else she would starve. Harper pushed herself off the cot. She stumbled forward but caught herself against the wall.

She glanced at her feet, happy that she had a little feeling in her legs again. Then she hobbled over to the door, and surprisingly, it was unlocked.

"Weapon..." Harper mumbled to herself, glancing around the room one more time for anything she could use to defend herself. But there wasn't anything.

The moment she swung the door open, a vile stench of gasoline hit her. She covered her face and kept her vomit down. Throwing up wasn't an option. Without anything in her stomach, it would only hurt.

Harper noticed the buckets of tools, screws, and cans of motor oil tipped over and sprawled everywhere. In the center of the room was furniture.

There were 2 couches, one plastic chair, and a small plastic table with a full ashtray on top. Across from her though, was a small refrigerator.

It was a Garage. But was she still in Westona? That, she didn't know. Where was Yanpu? Would Hyde kill her by thinking she was attempting to escape?

She needed to find a way out anyway. But she needed food first.

Harper sprinted toward the minifridge and yanked it open. Inside were many big plastic packs of a blue substance. Her curiosity didn't even stir her to investigate. She sloshed them aside until she found a large bottle of water at the bottom.

Harper popped off the cap and placed the rim to her lips. She chugged the liquid down as if she was a racer who had run a thousand laps.

When she finished taking enough water, she moved things around and found a quarter of a loaf of bread. It didn't take long for the wrap to be tossed aside and for her teeth to sink into it.

Harper bit large chunks out of that bread, rotating her hands to chug down more water with every swallow.

Before she could take the last bite, two arms wrapped around her neck from behind, and she screamed. The last piece of bread fell onto the floor. Harper watched with teary eyes as she was dragged away from the fridge.

"PLEASE!" Harper screeched.

"Trying to escape?" A deep bitter voice, not at all Hyde's seethed.

"NO!"

Harper felt a sharp object on her neck.

"How'd you get out?"

"T-the door! U-unlocked!"

Harper felt herself being shoved onto one of the couches in the center of the room. Harper was finally able to see who had attacked her.

A man who looked like he was in his late 40s, with a gray beard, and brown hair that was starting to gray. He had gray eyes, cold and distant. They were glaring at her as if she had done something terrible to him.

Who exactly was he? Where was Hyde? Was she imagining it earlier? There was no way.

Hyde might've done something to Yanpu by now. Harper looked away from the man for a second, just to get a better look at her surroundings. But the moment she did, the man grabbed her by her shirt collar and pressed her against the couch cushion.

Harper huffed. "Water! I just want water!"

In his right hand was a hammer. It was the sharp end of it that he held against her. He raised it high, and Harper flinched away.

"No! Stop! Please!"

"Westonan scum..." The man seethed. "You're already spoiled enough to get whatever you please. What makes you think you can steal my resources?"

"I'm starving... I wasn't trying to steal—"

Harper lowered her head when the man leaned forward. She took it as an opportunity. Harper grabbed the hammer out of his hands and chucked it away. Then she kicked the man in his nether regions.

He cowled and hunched over in pain.

Harper spun herself off the couch and rushed into another room. It led to a hallway with a few more doors. Harper figured that Yanpu had to have been kept behind one.

"YOU WENCH!!" The man hollered and bolted into the hallway. Harper's heart beat faster as she panicked. She carried herself as fast as she could into one of the rooms and shut it just before the man could attack her.

Harper let out a breath she was holding and turned to lean against the door.

She saw the devil facing her. He was sitting on a cot, sharpening one of his blades nonchalantly. His eyes drifted up to her briefly, before he sighed and relaxed his hold on the handle.

"You're up and awake again."

"Where's Yanpu?" Harper gathered enough courage to ask.

"I can arrange to put you back to sleep." Hyde stood.

Harper pressed herself against the door. The dim lamp behind him revealed his entire frame.

He was shirtless. But rather than focusing on all of his muscles, she noticed the long velvet scar that ran from the side of his neck all the way down his chest and further below his waistline.