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Harper turned the doorknob when she arrived. It was a little after 4, almost 5. Harper took a longer route to get back, though she hadn't realized it because she was lost in her thoughts.

She daydreamed about what it would be like to finally go back home where it was safe. She had planned on going to visit her mother after taking some time away from the Facility.

However, she recognized that there would be some things about Itaria that she would miss. The open fresh hair and sights of plants.

She wanted to start a garden, but when returning to Westona she knew that wouldn't be an option. And she needed to ask Bomb about Westona's poisonous fog. How could Itarians live freely without worries about the Puron particles in the soil?

Why did Westona lack produce, trees, and sunlight? Why was the air so badly polluted there compared to here? Perhaps their current research needed to be reevaluated.

If Itaria and other countries had fresh air, was there potentially a way for them to create a solution, rather than only relying on Yanpu as their only method to save everyone?

She only had to wait a little longer. Patience was necessary. Bomb would answer all of her questions soon.

Harper opened the door. It revealed bit by bit glowing red eyes, and a stern glare. Hyde stood stoically and directly on the other side as she entered.

"I'm back—"

"Where did you run off to?" Hyde shut the door after she stepped inside. The sound of it rattled the entire building.

"She's back," Arnest darted down the stairs while breathing heavily. He looked panicked.

Harper concluded that they were searching for her and thought she escaped. She had been gone for a while. "What happened?"

"What happened?" Hyde scoffed. "Why were you gone for the whole day? Don't play dumb with me."

"Arturo, he—"

"You know what will happen if you lie to me, Vixen." Hyde spat and stalked toward her. She backed away cautiously.

"I'm not lying, I went to Arturo's restaurant! He came by earlier. Actually, he was looking for you. But I volunteered because I didn't know what time you'd be back."

"Bullshite."

"Hyde," Arnest raised a brow, "The apron..." He pointed to Harper's appearance.

Hyde looked down and observed the cloth around her waist. The blue wraparound with embroidery was evidence to show that she was with Arturo.

Hyde relaxed, exhaling a load of stress off of him. He realized that putting a little more trust in her wasn't as detrimental.

When he came back from the market with Arnest, he felt rage when Harper was nowhere to be seen. Arnest came back from Giada's and told him that Yanpu was still there.

Then his rage turned into fear. Surprisingly, it was fear for her well-being. She didn't know her way around Piccposto completely, so he thought she had gotten lost.

They just returned from searching for her.

"You're telling the truth,"

"Yeah," Harper nodded. "I should've left a note, I realize that. You don't have to scold me."

Hyde ignored the rest of her sentence and pulled out a small bottle of medicine from his pocket. He twisted the top off and revealed the creamy texture inside. "This is for your neck."

"Oh," She realized that he kept his word about going to the market to buy it for her. "Thank you—ah!"

Hyde smeared the cream on her neck, specifically the bruise. Harper froze like ice when he began massaging it, circling his thumbs gently.

Her posture was awkward. She didn't dare move when he leaned in closer to steady her. Her heart pounded against her chest. Her ribcage was aching.

Her fingers were trembling nervously while his red eyes focused not on her, but only on the mark.

Harper's eyes shifted away and she noticed that Arnest had already left and went back upstairs. It was just the two of them. That made her even more anxious.

"This will heal in a few days if you keep applying it daily," Hyde stated.

"How long do you think it'll take?" Harper felt a need to continue the conversation so the silence wouldn't be so awkward for her.

"I don't know," Hyde admitted. He brushed his hair out of his face and read the label on the bottle. "It says 7."

Harper was again taken aback by his soft tone. Where did the snarky version of him go? The man who threatened to kill her, or hurt Yanpu too, where did he leave?

His eyes were focused on the small words, and Harper tilted her head to examine his expression. He looked sort of cute, childlike in a way. There was a certain innocence in his eyes during that moment. She caught onto it.

A very curious look, similar to Yanpu's.

Why did his behavior change?

A new form of anxiety brewed inside of her.

Though she was happy to know that Dr. Bomb had planned on rescuing her and Yanpu, Arturo's story was still fresh on her mind.

There was still a desire to know more about his condition. "Hyde, is it normal for your eyes to glow like that? It happens very often."

She decided to ask him while he was in his calm mood. Hyde stepped away from her and placed the medicine back in his pockets.

His face remained blank as if he didn't want to answer.

"There's nothing wrong with it," Harper quickly added. "I'm just curious! I've always wondered about that."

"It happens as a result of the make of my DNA." He answered honestly.

The make of his DNA? Why did that sound so unnatural? It seemed like he was implying he was physically constructed, whipped up in a lab of some kind to give him that trait.

"They're very pretty."

Hyde narrowed his eyes, not taking the compliment well. Rather than expressing his appreciation for her words, he strolled into the bedroom and out of her vision.

She followed him. "A simple thanks would suffice." She mumbled and sat on her mat while he rummaged through the dresser.

Somehow, she needed to get Hyde to open up about the scar. Once she left, she knew there was no more going back to ask why it never healed.

Perhaps she could use her charm?

What charm? Her brain reprimanded her.

She had none. Harper didn't view herself as attractive as Hyde was. He was gorgeous. He had strong and defining features that would make plenty of women swoon.

She could at least try, right? "Hyde, can I make another deal with you?"

"No," He voiced lazily and closed the drawers after he found whatever he was searching for. Then he sat on his mat and redid his hair.

"Why not?" Harper frowned.

" I don't want to." He said emotionlessly. "I don't have to explain myself to you."

"What do I have to do to get you to agree?"

"I won't agree," He chortled.

"I'll give you another massage."

"Not a chance," He seethed. "I don't want you touching me ever again."

"You're still worked up about last night?"

"I couldn't get any sleep. I thought you would have at me again if I closed my eyes."

"Egotistical jerk," Harper scoffed, "I wasn't trying to do anything with you! I moved the candle so I could look for something, and I misplaced it."

"What were you looking for?" Hyde tested her.

"I— it doesn't matter—"

"Of course it does, that is very vital to your story. And Maybe we should look for whatever you were searching for to clear up any confusion."

Harper bit her lip. He had her cornered.

"I already told you, my body is earned," Hyde smirked. "Don't think your small acts are enough to win me over. You've got a lot of damage to repair."

"I don't want your body," Harper spat, telling the truth.

"I felt everything." Hyde retorted. "The rubbing, the poking, everything. Maybe if you had asked for a quick toss, I may have complied. But you decided to violate my space on your own."

Hyde leaned forward, close to Harper's face. She could feel his breath on her. "How can I ever trust you?"

"Fine," Harper groaned. "I touched you."

"The little Vixen finally admits it."

"But it wasn't inappropriate."

"Oh?" Hyde teased her.

"I wanted to know more about your scar. So I touched it."

Hyde's nose flared. He backed away, letting his anger return. "Grab your shite. Get out."

"What?"

"You heard me." He snarled. "Get out!"

"Get out and go where?"

"Out of my sight." He poked her harshly. Then he began balling up her sheets, her clothes, and any of her belongings that he bought for her and tossed them out of the room.

This aggravated her, creating an argument.

"What is wrong with you?!" She huffed, irritated by his abrupt and rude behavior.

"Leave, before I remove you myself."

"Are you seriously this bothered that I touched your scar?" Harper scoffed. "So what if I did?"

"You've crossed the line again."

His scar was something sacred. It was his personal reminder as to why he hated Westona. And the fact that a scientist tried to investigate like he was some experiment made him want to hurl.

He wouldn't allow that to happen.

"I'm always crossing the line with you!"

She pressed her hands on his chest again and managed to nudge him back. "See? There! I touched you again! What are you gonna do about it?"

Hyde slapped her hand away. "You're dead."

"Oh, so you're gonna kill me now? And what will you say to Yanpu? How will you be able to control him?"

"You're right. Maybe I should kill the boy first—"

"Dastard!" Harper snatched up Hyde's pillow from his mat and began hitting him with it.

Enough was enough. She was sick of his mood swings. First, he was kind to her, and because she told him the truth, he was angry with her. There was no satisfying him. And she was done dealing with his lack of acknowledgment for all the efforts she put in to keep up her side of the deal.

She allowed him to cut her hair, to berate her! She even lied to Andreis for him! And he still refused to show her an extended amount of decency.

For the first time ever, he showed her some respect by asking her what she wanted. And she'd be darned if he switched his behavior simply because she wanted to try to understand him more.

"Hey!" Hyde blocked the blows with his elbow, startled by her attack.

"You're a sicko!" She snarled. "A jerk! A son of a—"

"Stop!" He sidestepped her, dodging one of her hits.

"Stop? Stop what?" She caught her breath.

Harper poked him all over his front, pinching his abdomen, and slapping his chest as much as she could. "You want me to stop touching you?"

Hyde was backed into the door. He kept screaming at himself to use his abilities on her, but something was stopping him.

It amused him slightly to see her smaller frame using all of what little strength she had to hit him. Her using the pillow as a weapon was one of the funniest things he had witnessed in a long time.

But he held back a laugh because she was still yelling at him.

"You've got some nerve!" She lashed out. "Ironic how you feel violated, but you've been invading my space since the day I freaking met you! And you dare tell ME to stop touching you? You're freaking insane! You're sick in the head!" Harper placed her hands on his chest and pressed him against the door.

"Now you know how it feels!" She finished, her face a dark red, after all of her blood rushed to her head. She breathed heavily, after letting all her frustrations out.

Hyde reached for her wrists to try to pull her hands off, but she moved them downward, dragging her fingers down the line of his scar. He still had his shirt on, so feeling her thumb brush him in a way made him uncomfortable.

He shifted under her hold. "Are you finished?" He grumbled.

"Are you?" Harper spat.

"Shite," He moaned. Her firm response turned him on.

Maybe taking Arnest's suggestion about finding a random toss wasn't such a bad idea. There was too much tension in the air and between them. And as much as he never wanted to admit, there were times that Harper did things that drove his mind to dark places.

It wasn't all the time, but this moment was one of them.

"What is wrong with you?" Harper moved her hands away. "Why are you acting like that? Have nothing to say?"

"What's going on?" Arnest's voice rang on the other side of the door. "I heard you both shouting."

Hyde nudged Harper away and awkwardly stepped aside. The door slid open, and Arnest was shocked to see the mess. "What happened?!"

Hyde merely walked by him and strolled toward the bathroom. Both Arnest and Harper watched him in silence as he shut the door. The clicking sound indicated that he locked it.

Arnest knew that he would be in here for a while. So he walked back upstairs, hesitant because he worried something else would happen.

Harper thought nothing of it and crossed her arms before grabbing all the things Hyde threw around.

She was also regretting screaming at him the way she did. All of her emotions boiled up to this point. And after talking to Bomb, she felt overwhelmed.

She folded the balled wad of her clothes, put them away, and fixed her mat by the door.

After another hour went by, Hyde finally came out of the bathroom. He looked like he was back to normal, and all of the anger he had completely left him.

Or rather, he looked content. Harper studied him, and he casually sauntered by as if they hadn't argued earlier. He sat on his mat and massaged the bridge of his nose.

Harper was flooded with many thoughts. Was he going to hurt her for lashing out?

Hyde laid flat on his back and placed his forearm over his head. And that was that. He didn't say anything else for the remainder of the day.

~~~

Harper woke up much later than usual. Even later than Hyde, because he was nowhere to be seen. Arnest was also gone. She walked into the main room confused by their absence.

They probably went to run an errand. Harper shrugged and gathered her things to take a shower. Her clothes, the hygiene products Hyde purchased, and a large white towel.

She took a shower and washed her hair, which was already showing some signs of new growth. And she put on her clothes, discarding the ones from yesterday.

While getting ready to face the morning, she thought of a plan. Perhaps she could ask Arturo If she could help out again for a shorter time period, which would enable her to pick Yanpu up from school. This way, it provides a great excuse to sneak away from Hyde's sight.

But the timing had to be perfect. It couldn't last more than an hour.

Harper began brushing her teeth.

The plan wouldn't be in practice for today, but she could at least meet with Vesper and tell him her thoughts, and get a second opinion on it.

Harper rinsed her mouth and gargled mouthwash. By the time she finished, she heard a loud whistling noise, very similar to a jet, and then a loud bang.

The entire dojo shook. It trembled chaotically, like an earthquake. Harper lost her balance and fell against the wall.

"What was that?" She heaved when the shaking stopped.

Then she heard a siren. A familiar-sounding siren. Her heart sank to her stomach. She prayed and hoped it wasn't what she thought it was.

Harper ran toward the front door and yanked it open. From her perspective, she saw the path full of people lying dead and pools of blood draining in between the grain of the tile.

"No no no!" She stepped out in a panic. On her left was a patrol droid, Westonian made. She realized that Bomb had pinpointed her location, and had full intent to search for Yanpu.

Where was Vesper? She needed to get to him to tell Bomb to stop!

She watched the droid stomp by her and in the direction of Giada's home. That terrified her.

Harper ran. She stepped over the bodies and ran in to warn them. The droid would not stop to harm anyone. She knew what it was capable of. It was made to eliminate an army, no matter which kind.

Where was Hyde? Where was Arnest? Did Bomb kill them? This is not what she wanted!

She managed to get ahead of the droid, but to her frustration, there were 2 more standing above the courtyard. It revealed its missiles, ready to fire, and Harper screamed. "No! Stop!"

Harper grabbed a rock and threw it at the droid. It paused, before turning to her. "That's right! Come after me! Don't hurt them!" She waved her hands frantically.

The droid aimed for her next, and she pouted. Was Bomb not controlling the droids? Could he not see her? All of them had cameras.

The droid fired, and the missile whipped through the air, headed right for her. She stood still, waiting for her death to come, but a flash of a blade darted in front of her.

Long black hair blew to the side and revealed two halves of a missile avoiding her.

"Hyde!" She gasped. He turned to face her, with the deadliest glare she had seen. There was a moment of silence between the two. Harper exchanged a look of regret, and Hyde's face was cold and daunting. But she knew that it was a look of betrayal.

"I didn't... they—watch out!" Harper grabbed his arm and dragged him away as the droid began to fire bullets in their direction. She led him into an alley and shoved Hyde against the wall, a feeble attempt to protect him.

The droid lost sight of them on its radar and decided to turn back to Giada's home. Harper exhaled and grabbed Hyde's shoulders, moving her hands up to caress his face. "Are you okay? You're not shot are you?"

"I ought to kill you." He shoved her away. "You led him here."

"Hyde, I didn't! This isn't what I—"

One of his blades, the tip of it, hung dangerously close to her neck. "How did you contact him?"

"That's not important! Giada and the others are in danger!" Harper cried. "You are their hero! Protect them!"

"If he lays a finger on my family, I will kill you. Don't move, stay out of my way." He spat bitterly.

His words hurt her. His family. His voice held a hint of desperation and vulnerability. Hyde dashed ahead, using his abilities to strike down one of the droids. It exploded, and Hyde landed like it was nothing.

Then he went for the other droid.

In the meantime, Harper decided to help out as much as she could. She needed to help Arnest's family escape and get in contact with Bomb.

She rushed into the courtyard, ignoring Hyde's commands. She knew she didn't have much time left.

Quickly, she kicked the doors open to Giada's home. She spotted Giada and Anna Bella holding her baby, cowering behind the couch while Andreis had his sword drawn and ready for any intruder to attack.

"Harpy!"

"Where are the kids?" Harper yelled.

"They're at school!" Anna Bella swallowed.

That was good. The school was most likely out of range.

"Follow me!"

"Why would a Westonian battle droid attack our town?" Andreis gulped. "It doesn't make sense!"

"You have to listen to me!" Harper snapped her fingers, trying to regain their attention. "You have to leave! Now!"

"We can't!" Andreis shook his head. "Where will we go? Piccposto is—"

"There won't be anything left of Piccposto once the droids finish blowing it up!"

"Hyde will take care of it! Right?" Anna suggested, Full of hope.

"Hyde can't do this alone! He's fighting the droids trying to protect you! But more will come!"

"How do you know?"

"I'm a Westonian! I know full well what they are capable of! My place of work dishes those machines out like it's nothing!"

"Are you serious?" Andreis's eyes widened.

"I'm not joking! They're only attacking because Hyde brought me here, and they're looking for Yanpu! So get your arses up! Let's go!"

"She's a Westie..." Anna Bella guffawed. "Mama! That is why non-Itarian language! She is a Westie!"

"How do I know I can trust you?" Andreis voiced his concern.

"I know the person controlling them! They won't hurt you if I'm around! Please hurry! I don't want any of you to be hurt!"

"Let's go," Andreis motioned for his wife to stand, and grabbed Giada by the hand. Anna held her baby right to her chest as they all followed Harper.

"This way!" She shouted. Harper spotted Hyde not too far away, slicing down another droid. She felt safe until one landed directly in front of her. It didn't give them a chance to run.

Immediately, the missiles were launched. Harper was knocked off her feet as the ground below her crumbled and caved.

She blacked out for a moment until she heard a loud ringing noise.

When she opened her eyes, there was a cloud of black dust. Particles from the fallen buildings.

She moved and felt the back of her hand touch someone else's, and she panicked. Despite all the pain she was in, she sat up to see the damage.

The cold hand was Giada's. Her face was covered in blood, and her eyes were still open. But what hurt Harper the most was to see the look of terror on her expression.

"Giada!" She mumbled. "Giada... I'm here!" She weakly crawled over to her body and touched her. Giada was rigid as stone, and she wasn't breathing.

The dust clouds around Harper dispersed and also saw Andreis and Anna Bella's lifeless bodies. Harper crawled over to the baby, who was clasping onto her mother's finger.

She wasn't moving. Harper let out a throaty scream, horrified by what the droid had done. "Giada! Please! Wake up!" Tears left her eyes as she scrambled back over to her.

"Please don't do this to me!" She hollered. "Don't die!"

She was reminded of the past when the bloodhounds attacked and killed all of her friends. The horrified looks on their faces as they died still etched on her mind.

"Giada..." She whimpered and rested over her body. "Giada...please,"

~~~