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Hyde stood on the opposite side of the school hut. The large pool of ocean water was separating him from it. There weren't any nearby clocks to tell him what time it was.

He just knew that a bell rang before Nefuti's assistant would bring out the children to play. He was on a 3-hour break from his spearfishing job. He had an hour left to spare before he needed to go back.

The docks weren't too far from the school, it was probably a 10-minute walk. Hyde could make it back in 5 minutes using his speed.

Harper didn't know it, but there were times that Hyde would stroll around the area on his break. He stopped by to observe from afar how Yanpu interacted with the others.

The boy always looked so gloomy, and Hyde felt embarrassed by it. Yanpu always followed Nefuti around, keeping his distance from the others.

It was bringing Hyde horrible memories of his own childhood. Hyde was also reserved and distant, but when Bomb allowed him to start training his abilities against other children who were also training to be servicemen, he became more social.

There were some times when kids would tease Hyde for being a golden child, but he gained respect from many of his peers. He grew into realizing that he could choose who to be more social with.

But watching Yanpu hug onto Nefuti's assistant's leg put all of Hyde's childhood interactions to shame. Just what the heck was Bomb teaching him back at the Facility? Hyde had a quick thought to teach Yanpu to grow some backbone.

The bell rang, and Nefuti's assistant along with the other children climbed down the ladder and into a long boat. She began to paddle toward Hyde.

She spotted him when they neared the other side and smiled. "Oh! Yanpu! Your dad is here!"

Hyde felt Yanpu's eyes on him. The red glow flashed and quickly disappeared in Yanpu's eyes.

Hyde smirked, and waved his hand in a salute manner, testing Yanpu's patience. While he hated being labeled as the father, he did feel somewhat pleased by annoying him.

Nefuti's assistant, whom he couldn't remember her name, jumped out of the boat once it tapped the solid grass. One by one, she aided the children out, including Yanpu.

"We were just about to take a walk around the village." She explained. "Are you here to pick him up early?"

"No," Hyde lowered himself to the ground and placed his hand on top of Yanpu's head. "You don't mind if I take a walk with him, do you? Unless taking a walk through the village is for his grades."

"Oh, no, I was just taking them there to the waterfall. They'll play at the springs for a bit and then eat lunch when we come back."

"How long will that take?"

"An hour."

"You don't want to go to the springs and get wet, do you?" Hyde snickered, brushing Yanpu's hair messily with his fingers. "I'll bring him back for lunch."

"Oh, okay! That's fine." She nodded.

"Be careful when you go." Hyde stood back up. The assistant looked young herself. He knew she was around 14 years old. It would be difficult for a teenager to watch several kids at once by large amounts of water.

"Ah, don't worry Mr." Hyde cringed at her use of the word. It made him feel old. "I'll keep a good eye on them."

Hyde nodded in response.

"Off we go! Come on, kids! Remember what I told you, hold hands when we walk!" The young assistant guided the children as they left together.

Yanpu remained quiet. The silence was awkward, but he didn't have anything to say to Hyde. In Yanpu's mind, Hyde was visiting him to taunt him.

But Hyde's intention was far from that.

"Hey," Hyde nudged Yanpu's arm with his leg. Yanpu raised his head, burning holes into Hyde's face.

"Follow me, pipsqueak," Hyde commanded casually, strolling away in the opposite direction. Yanpu was hesitant.

He didn't know what Hyde's plan was. He started to wonder why Harper wasn't with him.

"Hey!" Hyde's raised tone snapped him out of it. "Don't make me repeat myself."

Yanpu took careful steps in Hyde's direction. They both walked through the field of many palm trees and oak trees. It took a few minutes, but Hyde finally found a secluded spot where no one could hear the two.

He plopped down on the grass, and let down his hair. It fell against his chest. Hyde kept his guard up, but the tense feeling in his shoulders left.

"Sit."

"Why?"

"Sit," Hyde said again, more sternly.

Yanpu cautiously lowered and crisscrossed. What was Hyde thinking? He couldn't tell. But he knew that it didn't seem like Hyde was going to attack him.

"You seem to be really enjoying it." Hyde quipped sarcastically. "Teacher's pet."

Yanpu didn't know what a teacher's pet was, but he didn't want to ask.

Hyde didn't know where to begin. The two of them sat there, both calculating what the other would do. The silence was so thick it would take a sword to poke through it.

Hyde was putting much effort into trying to think of how to talk with Yanpu. A moment went by, and there was still nothing said. Hyde knew that this wasn't working.

He sat up straight. Yanpu flinched.

Both of them were on edge. Yanpu was studying Hyde's next move. Hyde was in deep thought, deeper than he thought he would have reached.

How could he tell the story in a way that a child would understand? It wasn't rocket science, why did it feel so difficult to explain?

"Bomb is an abomination, a sorry excuse for a human being," Hyde stated bluntly, going full in. Yanpu's eyes narrowed slightly, but there was still no response.

"Westona is a waste of space." Hyde continued, hoping to stir something within Yanpu to ask questions. He didn't think he could go on for much longer. "That's not just my opinion, it's a fact."

Hyde inhaled. "I don't think you know where I'm going with this."

The only reason why he was attempting was because of Harper. But Yanpu's stare was so blank that Hyde couldn't read him.

"Aren't you curious about why you're on this island? Because if so, you need to speak up, you little shite. Don't make me waste my time."

"Harper... you kidnapped us..."

"Wow," Hyde whistled. He was shocked to hear a small kid like him using such a big word. How old was he again? "You're wrong, but wow."

"I'm not wrong."

"You are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yeah, you are."

"No, I'm not!"

"Yep. You are."

"No!"

"Yep." Hyde teased him. "You're so wrong. I could prove it."

Yanpu crossed his arms and pouted. Hyde could see the blood rushing to his face.

"That day on the airship, I was very angry. And not just that, but I was blinded by it. My plans were to kill Harper, not kidnap her. You know how mouthy she gets. It's annoying as shite. And I was beyond that."

Yanpu made a "humph" sound and kept his eyes on the grass.

"But stuff happened and she foolishly helped me navigate my way on the ship. That and other things convinced me to help her."

"Why would you help anyone?" Yanpu mumbled under his breath.

"I know, right?" Hyde agreed. "I don't know what the heck was running through my mind at that moment. I should've just killed her and called it a day."

Yanpu eyed Hyde with a look of horror.

"But somehow, she's still alive." Hyde glanced at Yanpu, reiterating the point he was trying to make. "She's still mouthy as ever. And... she's always nagging me about you."

Yanpu closed his mouth.

"She was the one that wanted to bring you here, kid. Not me. If I could have it any different, I'd be on the other side of the world right now."

"Why?"

"Why, what? You've gotta give me context."

"Why did Harper wanna bring me here?"

Hyde drummed his fingers against the ground and smirked. He was finally getting Yanpu to talk more. All he had to do was keep it up.

"She was scared you'd end up like me. She still is."

Yanpu huffed. That was the first thing Hyde said that made sense. But he still didn't understand why she was having that fear.

"Your abilities, your looks, and those glowing eyes of yours? They're related to me. And I know you know that we're brothers..."

"Half brothers." Yanpu corrected him, further proving that he did indeed hear that conversation between Hyde and Harper.

"Exactly."

"I won't end up like you. I don't wanna be evil."

"Dastardly? Check. Sinister? Check. Evil is a bland word." Hyde chortled. "But that's not what I mean..."

"Huh?"

"There's a whole lot you don't know about Westona. And you didn't question it when I brought you to Itaria. Actually, there's a lot you haven't questioned..."

Hyde couldn't blame him for that. He already knew that Yanpu didn't take an interest in things unless it had to do with learning something new. It was the same mindset Hyde had under Bomb's care.

"Do you know what happened to Giada?"

Yanpu shook his head. That day he was taken, a man with guns approached him at school. He introduced himself as Bomb's friend. So he went along with him to the port, thinking that Harper and Bomb would meet him.

He was transported to the airship via one of the attack droids. Yanpu never thought much of it.

"She's dead. And you wanna know why?"

Yanpu frowned after taking in that new information. He liked Giada the most out of all the people in Itaria. Giada fed him and told him funny stories. He would often watch her cook meals for the whole family.

There were times he wished Harper was as affectionate as Giada was.

"Bomb was the one who sent the droids to destroy all of that little town."

"Why?"

"To get rid of me. But does that make any sense? Why would anyone kill off hundreds of people to go after one person?" Hyde plucked some of the grass at his foot, scattering them about.

He hated bringing anything up about Bomb. It drove him crazy. The hate he had for the man who brought him into this world was beyond imagination.

Yanpu could see Hyde's eyes glowing and fading.

"To Bomb, people are nothing but pawns. That includes me, and you."

"What did I do?"

"You were born, kid." Hyde shrugged. "That's all it takes, apparently."

"Huh?"

"All that mumbo jumbo about saving the country? That's a load of Bull."

"That's not true..."

"Then don't take my word for it." Hyde spat. "But you should take Harper's. There's a reason she wanted to bring you along."

Yanpu tried to think of a way to argue, but nothing came to mind. Hyde had him, and there was nothing he could do.

"Don't be a jerk to the only person left who cares about you." Hyde expressed wholeheartedly full of frustration. He was regretting the way he treated Arnest and his family.

Now that they weren't there anymore, Hyde felt like he had no one. And he knew Yanpu would have the same regrets if he continued acting bitter toward Harper.

"Your hate is aimed at me, right?" Hyde shifted his gaze to Yanpu.

"I don't care what you think of me. But, she doesn't deserve your bad attitude when she's trying hard to protect you. And you're not dumb. You've got the grades to prove how intelligent you are. So I know you see how much effort Harper is putting into all this."

Yanpu felt more than conflicted. All of a sudden, Hyde was defending Harper. He didn't know what to believe anymore.

"It's about time for me to head back." Hyde brushed his pants off, flicking some of the grassy strips off his legs. Then he stood up.

He hoped Harper would be satisfied. She couldn't say that Hyde didn't try to have a conversation with Yanpu. Although he didn't explain much, he felt like it was enough.

He also didn't want to share too much information about Bomb's plan to kill Yanpu. When Hyde found out, it traumatized him.

Yanpu had a very hard time managing his emotions. There was no way that the kid was ready to hear about that yet.

Hyde left Yanpu alone to reflect.

Maybe it was the start of forming a relationship with him. Only time would tell.

~~~

Another week went by. Hyde couldn't hold back his suspicions anymore. He decided to take a day off to follow Harper to her job.

Harper started off the day happy because Yanpu was starting to open back up. His responses were casual and short, but it was a start in the right direction.

Her head was full of the plans she had for the day. After working, she wanted to go to the marketplace to buy Yanpu new clothes and decorations for the shed.

They needed more blankets, and Yanpu needed swimwear for one of his school activities.

She skipped all the way to Akamau's shed, not knowing that Hyde was sneaking behind.

When she arrived, Hyde didn't believe that her new place of work was with the witch. But after waiting there for a few hours and watching her, it became evident.

Harper was completely clueless and focused on her task. She occasionally peered over to Akamau who was mixing a concoction in a mortar and pestle. Over the past few days, Harper gained interest in whatever Akamau created.

There were many medicines, pills, and liquids lined up on the counters of her home. She saw how Akamau used herbs and other ingredients from the market to create them.

Harper wanted to learn that skill. Perhaps she could whip up a cure for Hyde's condition.

"You're distracted..." Akamau approached Harper from behind.

"Oh, sorry, I just..." Harper wiped the sweat away from her face. She was peeling fruit and using the skin to be burned. Akamau wanted to keep the ashes for later use.

"Have you been resting well these days?"

"Yeah, I'm just curious about your work and research. How do you know what all of the herbs do?"

"Maybe I'll teach you one day." Akamau smiled. "But I can't right now, I have to go to Chief Aleki's to go over some records. So for today, you're dismissed. Your pay is out front."

"Oh, okay." Harper frowned and gathered herself together. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Indeed." Akamau nodded.

Harper walked out of the front door and grabbed 3 golden coins that were in a small bowl on the porch. Then she put them in the pouch that Hyde found.

She started on the path to the village, still completely unaware that Hyde was behind her.

She was about to walk by a tree, but a thick blade whished by her nose and clung onto the bark. It shook and made a weird sound.

Harper froze and took a look at the sword. She recognized it immediately, knowing who it belonged to, as well as who was that precise at throwing anything.

"Your employer doesn't wanna reveal their identity my arse," Hyde announced, and Harper turned around to face him.

"Hyde!"

"So this is what we're doing now? We're going behind each other's backs?"

"I can explain—"

"We had a deal."

"Hyde, would you listen to me?" Harper's voice cracked when Hyde backed her into the tree.

"Are you planning on helping that witch whip up some poison concoction for me to drink?" Hyde grabbed onto the handle of his blade, shoving it further into the bark. There was a loud crackling sound, and a small sharp piece of the wood chipped, scraping against Harper's right cheek.

"Hyde," Harper raised her hand to cover her face. "You have to let me explain."

"I don't think I do." His voice was extremely sour, more than a grapefruit. It came out like a hiss, very acidic in noise.

"I owe it to you."

"You owe me a hell of a lot more." Hyde raised three fingers, his tone deepening more than the depths of the sea. "30 seconds. I'm giving you 30 seconds to utter the most sensible shite before I rip out your tongue and stuff it down your throat."

The old Hyde was back. The one who kidnapped her from Westona was standing before her. She knew that he would be upset, but not this angry.

"Chief Aleki recommended it to me." Harper inhaled nervously, which only made Hyde's face turn a dark shade of red. "I was running out of time, and I knew I had to help provide somehow."

"So you thought, "Hm, let me take a job from the person whom I've been warned about, even though I know it'll cause suspicion?" Hyde just about lost all control. "Did you forget who I am, Vixen?"

"I took this job to help you! Jerk!" Harper nudged him, and Hyde took a step away. "Use your brain, Hyde. What could I possibly gain from working with Akamau to poison you?"

"Freedom?"

"Are you serious? Do you really think I'd have Freedom without you here? I'm on the run from the Facility! Make it make sense!"

Harper felt her neck being pressed against the bark of the tree. Hyde tilted his sword, holding it firmly against her neck. One wrong move and blood would spill.

The two stared at each other for a moment. Hyde was trying to understand her thoughts by observing her expression. They had made a deal to communicate with each other and work together. But Hyde knew that betrayal always started from a lie or any single act of deceit.

It was difficult for Hyde to believe that Harper wouldn't go behind his back and cause trouble for him.

He would never admit it, but he did feel a twinge of pain in his chest after finding out that Harper went against his warnings to stay away from Akamau. He had already started forming the starting level of rapport with her.

He couldn't handle any more betrayal. Hyde didn't want to go through losing more than what he had already. Everyone back in Westona wanted his head on a silver platter.

His family and friends in Piccposto were gone. Besides Harald, who was overseers knows where, and Valheyna, Hyde had no one else.

He'd be darned if he allowed Harper to even think about double-crossing him.

"Hyde, I would never go behind your back to harm you. I already regret what happened in Piccposto..." Harper murmured guiltily. "I know what you went through 10 years ago. I wouldn't do something like that to you."

"You haven't done much to prove it."

"You have trust issues..." Harper pointed out. "What I do will probably never be up to your standards. But just know that I don't plan on poisoning you or something else that's crazy."

Hyde kept his eyes on her.

"If this is what you want, go ahead." Harper surrendered, holding her hands up.

"You don't get to tell me that." Hyde moved his sword away. He flicked it with his fingers, caught onto its handle, and placed it back into his belt.

"I'm holding you accountable."

"I know,"

"If you betray me—"

"I won't." Harper shook her head. "I only want to help support all of us. See?" Harper showed him the talents she earned for the day. "I was on my way to the market to buy some items we need."

"Like what, exactly?" Hyde lazily glanced at the golden coins.

"Clothes," Harper smiled. "And some other things..."