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Water drizzling against a hard surface woke Harper.

She blinked a few times and noticed that Yanpu was no longer in bed with her. She sat up immediately and threw herself off the bed.

"Yanpu? Yanpu!" She rushed into the bathroom. When the door opened, she paused. Hyde was standing over the sink, washing his face. When he saw her, he rolled his eyes.

"What did you do to him!?"

"Keep it down, will you?" Hyde wiped his face dry with a towel. "Shite, blast this headache."

"Where's Yanpu!"

"Ey, don't make me have to say it again." Hyde turned to face her. "The kid is with Arnest. They'll be back soon."

Harper relaxed. She couldn't believe she slept so peacefully without considering the fact that she was still in danger.

Hyde stretched his arms and opened the lower cabinets under the sink. Inside, there was a first aid kit.

He pulled it out and popped it open. "Come here." He motioned Harper over. She was very hesitant, but she followed his directions. Hyde turned her around and began lifting the bottom of her top.

"What are you doing!?" Harper jumped forward, but Hyde dragged her back to him.

"Don't move."

"Pervert!" Harper elbowed him in the torso and managed to get out of his hold. "Don't touch me!"

"Listen here, Vixen." Hyde clicked his tongue. "I'm changing your bandage so your wound can heal. You're not my type. Get that through your head. Who would want someone as unattractive as you?"

"You weren't acting so mildly with your lady friend last night." Harper rebuked.

"Are you jealous?"

"No!" Harper scoffed.

"Good. That makes things easier."

"What kind of sane woman would ever consider a monster like you worthy of attention?"

"According to Arnest? A lot." Hyde chortled. "I never keep track."

"You're disgusting."

Hyde swiped his blade upward, and Harper's tank top split in half, along with the bandages. Both dropped to the floor and exposed her front.

She quickly covered her chest and spun around so her bare back was facing him. "Beast!"

Hyde placed the knife back into his belt and examined the scars on her. The wounds were doing a lot better. Rather than wrapping them again, he placed patches over every cut.

Then Hyde walked over to the wardrobe and opened it. Fortunately, there was a dress shirt from the last guest that stayed in the room. He snatched it off the hanger and tossed it at Harper.

"Get dressed and put on your mask."

Harper tensed and she quickly placed the dress shirt around her. It was very baggy on her, but it covered her chest and stomach well.

As she buttoned it up, Hyde forcefully placed the oxygen mask over her face. "Move faster."

"I'm trying my best!"

"Don't try. Do." He sneered. "If I wanted to wait for you, I would've let you wash up."

Hyde opened the door, allowing for Harper to exit first.

The black sedan was parked out front. Harper didn't acknowledge Maxine who was leaning against the passenger side of the car. When Hyde approached, Maxine smiled and slipped a small note into his pocket.

"Just as I promised," She caressed his cheek and kissed him. "Stop by again soon."

Hyde didn't respond to her. He nudged her aside and opened the door, before placing himself inside. Arnest started the ignition by waving his hand over the steering wheel.

"Where to?"

Hyde handed him the paper with the address messily scribbled on it. "Haylestorm."

"Haylestorm?" Arnest scowled. "Don't you remember how badly they treated you? You wanna go back?"

"They're the only town left with crystals in stock. We'll have to wait here for a week if we don't go there."

"I guess we have no other choice." Arnest pressed his foot on the gas and pulled off onto the main road. Then he leaned over and tossed a paper bag at Hyde. "That's breakfast."

Hyde fumbled through the bag and took out a wrapped sandwich. He tossed the bag over his shoulder, and it landed in Harper's lap. "Make sure he's fed."

Hyde gestured to Yanpu.

"He has a name."

"I don't care."

Harper searched the bag and only found one other sandwich left. "Is this all?" She glowered. "There's nothing here for me?"

"You already ate." Arnest snorted.

"When?!"

"That sandwich last night should've filled you up."

Harper almost bit her tongue. Having enough of their obnoxious behavior, she unwrapped the breakfast sandwich and shoved it at the side of Hyde's face.

Sauce ran down the side of his head, along with the cheese and meat that spread on his hair. In the mirror, Harper saw Hyde's red eyes light up. Slowly, he wiped the gunk off his face.

"Stop the car." His voice was low and acidic.

"That'll delay us—"

"PULL OVER!" Hyde roared and Arnest slammed his foot on the breaks. The car skidded to a stop, sending a gust of road dust in the air.

Harper didn't have the time to register before her door was yanked open. She never saw him leave the passenger seat. It all happened so fast.

Harper was dragged out and thrown down.

"I'm trying to be patient with you," Hyde growled. "All I asked is for you to cooperate. Not a temper, I never asked for your comebacks. All I ordered was for you to behave."

"I may as well be as good as dead!" Harper shot back. "You dragged me along for whatever scheme you have planned, and all the while you're making me starve! Can you put yourself in my shoes for once?"

"And why would I ever want to do that?"

"I helped you!" Harper whined. "At the facility, I could've killed you! But I helped you when you were down! The least you can do is let me have some decent food!"

"If I wanted you alive, I would've given you freedom."

Hyde wiped his face. "Do you think I dragged you out here because of your kind gesture? I brought you here to keep that brat in check!"

He snagged her by her shirt collar and held her up. "When I'm finished, I will kill you. You will no longer be useful. Drill that into that thick skull of yours."

"What is your goal?" Harper couldn't understand him. Other than having the ability to withstand diseases, Yanpu was just an ordinary kid. Why was Hyde so keen on taking him? Did Hyde know something that she didn't?

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He dropped her. She landed flat on her front and coughed. "I'm giving you one more chance. Cross the line again, and that's it."

Part of her wanted Hyde to just put her out of her misery. But the order she received from Dr. Bomb replayed in her head. Yanpu's safety was of utmost importance. Who knows what Hyde had planned for him?

"Get up."

Harper's feet trembled when she picked herself off the road. Her knee was bleeding after having been scraped against the hard ground because of his aggression. She hobbled back to the car.

The look on Yanpu's face made her heart sink.

Fear was written all over it. There were tears swelled up in his eyes, threatening to fall. She's never seen him so afraid.

"Harper..."

"I'm fine." She smiled at him. "We just had a disagreement."

"Tch..." Arnest remarked as Hyde got back into the car.

They rode in silence.

~~~

Several hours went by. Harper lost track of the time. She woke up from a nap and looked out the window. They were surrounded by dark fog. The only thing guiding their way was the car's bright headlights.

Harper looked in the rearview mirror and saw that Hyde's eyes were closed. He looked very peaceful while he slept. It was the calmest she had ever seen him.

What made this prized warrior become the crazed monster he was now? Did it have something to do with Yanpu?

That couldn't be. Hyde's incident happened 10 years ago. That was way before she started working at the facility. Yanpu wasn't even thought of back then.

What made Hyde go haywire?

Dr. Bomb said after his last mission, he showed signs of agitation. He slayed all of the fighters at the facility during that time. No one knows what happened.

She had to figure it out.

A siren caught her attention. It was a very familiar sound.

Blinking lights reflected off of the car seats. Harper looked over her shoulder, and she saw several of the facility's controlled machines chasing after them.

"Hyde." Arnest clutched the wheel. "Hyde! Wake up!" He nudged Hyde's shoulder aggressively. "We've got company!"

"What the—"

"Patrol Droids!" Harper smiled. Finally, they had been found. They were saved.

Arnest snatched the wheel, and the car swerved to the right. Harper furrowed her eyes at him.

"You can't outdrive them!"

"Watch me!"

"They're equipped with missiles! They'll kill you if you don't stop!" These two couldn't be so dumb that they thought they would escape from Westona's greatest inventions, could they? "Pull over! Accept your fate."

"Keep your foot on the gas." Hyde sat up and began typing on the screen on the dashboard.

Loud gunshots bounced off the trunk, and Harper ducked with Yanpu under her. "You'll kill us all!"

"Shut it!" Arnest stepped on it. He swerved around various objects on the road. One of the bullets hit the back tire, and the car spun out of control.

Harper held onto Yanpu with her life as gravity pulled them every which way. The car skirted to a stop a great distance from the Patrol Droids. Smoke seeped out of the hood and into the interior of the vehicle.

Harper panted heavily as she raised her head. The sirens rang as they neared.

In the corner of Harper's eye, she saw Hyde by her window. She opened the door, but Hyde forced it back shut.

"You can't defeat them!" Harper shouted. The droids were constructed with such heavy machinery that it could cause a massive catastrophe. They've destroyed countless towns with their built-in missiles.

The facility had most likely sent them out because of how dangerous Hyde was. But Hyde was no match for advanced weaponry. That's what she calculated, anyway.

"It's over, Hyde! Surrender!"

If he surrendered, the facility wouldn't be forced to unleash hell. She also didn't want to be in the crossfire.

Hyde ignored her pleas and walked toward the droids flying their way.

"Hyde!"

"Stay in the car." He drew his blades as the line of machines landed across from him in a straight line. Harper knew he wouldn't last a chance. These weren't just regular soldiers, but high-speed and precise killing machines.

Why was he so adamant about fighting?

The first droid aimed its gun at Hyde. Then it fired.

Hyde spun around and blocked the bullet with his blade. He dodged effortlessly as more clips were released. He swung his daggers like propellers on a helicopter, avoiding every hit.

One droid to his left raised a missile launcher.

"Hyde!" Harper gasped.

The loud popping sound took her breath away. A thick arrow-shaped explosive whizzed through the air.

The sharp cylinder rends against his blade. It cut right through. Hyde gnashed his teeth and sprinted forward.

Harper covered her mouth. That missile was one of the most devastating the facility created. It took Engineers 2 entire years to design it. Hyde's ability to tear through it defied what was impossible.

An earful of clattering and whacking repeated. Harper glanced left and right, desperately trying to comprehend what was happening.

It was so foggy that she couldn't see clearly.

All she saw was the color of Hyde's silver knives spinning around rapidly. There was no sign of his figure.

"Not so chipper now, are we?" Arnest coughed and wiped the sweat from his face.

"H-how? How is it possible?"

"Hyde was bred for this kind of thing." Arnest tapped on the screen. He began mapping out their route.

Harper had to think quickly. If Hyde was able to take on Westona's greatest weapons, she needed to find a way to escape while he was distracted.

She pushed herself forward and reached for the steering wheel, but Arnest snagged her arm. "What do you think you're doing?"

Harper clocked him in the face. Arnest's head flew back and hit the window. He wasn't completely out, but her blow somewhat stunned him.

Harper unlocked her side of the door and quickly stepped out of it.

However, the moment her foot touched the street, one of the droids exploded from the impact of Hyde's blade. The aftermath sent her flying.

Her back smacked onto the ground and she felt a sharp pain shoot up her lower torso.

Hyde stood above her.

Harper's vision fuzzed and ringing invaded her hearing. The image was clear again, but the scene was different. She was surrounded by fire. Someone with the same stance as Hyde stood in front of her. His eyes were red, but he had shorter black hair.

Harper blinked and Hyde was there again, hovering over her body. His lips moved, but she couldn't hear him. No matter how hard she tried, the ringing wouldn't stop.

Her fingers glazed against the concrete as she tried to push herself to sit up, but she couldn't feel her arms.

Everything was numb.

She blinked again and she saw herself being whisked into his arms. Hyde placed her back inside the backseat and spoke again, but it went unheard.

The only thing that she could get a clear sound of was her heartbeat. It thumped against her chest as she realized that her escape attempt failed.

~~~

It took another hour for Harper to come back to her senses. Yanpu's soft giggles brought her to reality. She examined her environment.

They were no longer on the main road. They were parked at an auto shop. Some of the dark fog had cleared, so she could get a better glimpse of the building.

"Yani?" Harper stepped out of the car, and she collapsed onto the sidewalk. Her legs quivered as she tried to steady herself.

The giggling echoed, driving her to be even more determined. When she neared the sound of his laughter, two shadows ahead of her formed.

The shadows shifted into familiar figures. Yanpu was standing in front of Hyde, with a big round apple in his hand.

He tossed it up in the air, and Hyde dragged his sword across, slicing it in half. The remains fell into Yanpu's hands, and he cheered.

"Yani!" Harper huffed and threw herself in front of him. "Oh goodness, you're okay! Thank the overseers!" Harper pulled him in for an embrace.

"You snapped out of it. Welcome back." Hyde placed his dagger back into his sheath. He turned to face the car and was just about to walk away when Harper grabbed his arm.

"You almost got us killed!"

Hyde raised a brow. "Did I?"

"I told you to stand down! Those Patrol droids would've ceased fire if you simply let Yanpu and I go!"

"Unhand me." Hyde snatched his arm out of her grasp. "Those droids were after blood. I did you a huge favor, actually."

"A favor? Putting our lives at risk because you wanted to show off your combat tricks and boost your ego did us a favor? Are you completely insane!?"

"Maybe."

"Ugh! I can't wait until Bomb shows up and arrests you! He'll come again! He won't stop with just the droids!"

"You're so dense," Hyde smirked. "Fine. Let Bomb show his face. I'll allow him to give his all. And when he's done... he'll be the first on my brand new To Kill list." Hyde placed his hands on his hips confidently. "And once I Hunt him down, I'll be left with two trophies. His head on a silver platter, and your heart on the tip of my blade."

Harper shivered at his words. With nothing left to say, Hyde strolled over to the car and leaned against the trunk.

A flash of the man in her daydream from earlier appeared before her. Harper had goosebumps as the image quickly faded.

Something about Hyde was all too familiar.

He lit a cigarette and placed it in between his lips, not caring that Harper's eyes were still on him.

Eventually, Arnest walked out of the shop with 2 tires.

"We'll be back on the road in no time!" He grinned. His joy quickly diminished when he realized that Harper was wide awake. "I oughtta rip your hair out for that stunt earlier."

"Huh?" Harper blinked in confusion.

"Are you just gonna let her get away with this?" Arnest pouted at Hyde, pointing to his nose that had a balled tissue inside one of his nostrils.

"Piss off." Hyde rolled his eyes and walked away. A trail of smoke followed after him.

Arnest sighed and pulled a toolbox out of the trunk. He began working on the flat tire that was hit by a bullet earlier.

"Harper!" Yanpu skipped over to her and handed her half of the cut apple. He sank his small teeth into the other piece happily.

Harper's lips curled upward and she sat on a nearby bench as Yanpu ate. At least he was still alive and well. That's all that mattered.

She knew that Dr. Bomb would try again to save them. All she had to do was leave a trail.

But she needed something with her fingerprints or DNA on it. There were no cameras nearby, so that was the next best thing. Harper looked at her shoes.

She slipped one off and placed it under the bench so Hyde and Arnest wouldn't see. Then she prayed. If the overseers could help Bomb find her, she'd be forever grateful and promised herself to be a woman of more faith.

Her shoe was the one thing she needed for Bomb to find. She had the confidence that he would.

Bomb was a very intelligent man. More than likely he was leading the search for Yanpu and her.

With all of the facility's resources, she knew that he would try all means to get her and Yanpu to safety.