HA\LF: Dead nor Alive

“What? Didn’t she say that she hadn’t met one before? Was that a lie?” Archie tilted his head as he furrowed his eyebrows.

“She was called a liar, a disgrace, you name it. Nobody believed her and it affected her and she started to pretend that she has never met one. She would rather be called a coward than a liar.” Vincent looked at Archie with his arms crossed.

“Even the expedition was erased from history so nobody would know about it, only those soldiers who were there that knew about it.” Vincent sighed as he continued talking.

Archie nodded with understanding but then he squinted his eyes and looked to his right. He heard a door slam from the other side and he could hear Ruby’s voice coming from there.

“She’s being interrogated right now…” Archie said as he kept staring at the wall.

“You really can hear them from here?” Vincent was surprised and couldn’t believe that Archie was telling the truth.

The door opened next to Vincent and it startled him a bit, Marlon looked at Archie while he kept holding the door’s handle, “Hmm…” Marlon looked at Archie judgingly.

“You’re still here, Captain Vincent?” Marlon looked at Vincent who stood straight and at ease.

“I’m making sure that he’s not running away, Sir.” Vincent kept his eyes looking forward.

“Alright, you can leave us now…” Marlon opened the door wide open.

Vincent walked toward the door but then he stopped and turned around. “Sir, may I go to check on Captain Ruby?” Vincent looked at Marlon.

“Is there a reason why I should allow you to bother Resse during her work?” As Marlon held the door’s handle and readied to close it.

“That’s exactly why, Sir. I’m afraid that Resse would go overboard knowing that Ruby is stubborn and not a good listener.” Vincent kept staring Marlon in the eyes.

“Alright, you may go but don’t bother her if it’s not necessary.” Marlon sighed as he slowly closed the door in front of him.

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“Thank you, Sir!” Vincent saluted Marlon as the door closed in front of him.

“Now, where should we start…” Marlon read the documents that he brought with him. “Archie Lancaster, the missing boy who’s everyone been looking for…” As Marlon sat down on the chair in front of Archie.

Marlon stared at Archie for quite a while to show dominance but Archie just stared back at him with a resting face.

“What’s your name, kid?” Marlon kept the eye contact battle.

“My name is Lance.” Archie confidently replied without hesitation.

“Is that the name you’re going to use from now on?” Marlon looked at the document as he smirked. “Alright, I will play your game, Lance…” Marlon smiled as he kept reading the documents.

(On the other side of the room.)

“What are you doing here?” Resse looked at Vincent who just entered the room while Ruby was surprised to see him there with her.

“I’m here as a precaution since you would often go overboard and harm people.” Vincent stared at Resse with a blank expression.

“I don’t-” Resse tried to kick him out.

“I got permission from Marshall Marlon, so you can’t kick me out of the room,” Vincent said before Resse could finish her sentence.

“Fine, just stay there and don’t bother me.” Resse glared at Vincent then sat down on the chair.

Vincent and Ruby stared at each other and then Vincent lifted his hand and rubbed his right ear while he moved his eyes to the wall on his right. Ruby looked to her left in a split second and nodded with understanding but Resse noticed that and slowly turned her head and stared at Vincent from the corner of her eyes.

“Let’s not waste anyone’s time… the guy that helped you, what was his name when he introduced himself?” Resse crossed her hands and put them in front of her mouth.

“He introduced himself as Archie Lancaster,” Ruby replied without hesitation as she stared at Resse.

“Knowing that he’s Archie Lancaster, why don’t you bring him here immediately?” Resse cracked her fingers’ joints.

“At first, I don’t recall that name, neither Vincent, Tommy, Daniel, nor the major because we are not like you who have access to everything.” Ruby wasn’t scared even though Resse stared at her as if she wanted to tear her face apart.

“You brought him here then you were looking for information about Archie Lancaster then you realized that he was the one who we are looking for?” Resse raised her eyebrow.

“Yes, that’s what I did.” Ruby nodded.

“Then after knowing that, you didn’t bring him here, why?” Resse’s murderous gaze came out and it made Ruby a bit uncomfortable.

“Because I wanted to make sure if he’s really Archie Lancaster because the photo is totally different in person so I thought he was lying about it.” Ruby cleared her throat as she fixed her seating to comfort herself.

“Then you confronted him and he confessed that he was lying to you?” Resse grabbed her dagger and put it on the table.

“Yes, I confronted him and said that Archie Lancaster shouldn’t be here since he went to FalCon-1 which is a continent away from here. He confessed that he found the watch and letter on the shore.” Ruby replied as she looked at the dagger that was huge enough to cut her head in half.

“He told you his real name after that?” Resse spun the dagger as she stared at Ruby.

“Yes, he revealed his real identity. His name is Lance, Lance Richer.” Ruby stared at Resse as she gulped nervously.

“And? You’re not curious about his appearance that appeared so suddenly outside the wall?” Resse grabbed the dagger’s handle and pointed it at Ruby.

“I was, I asked him and he said that he has been living outside the wall on his own after both his parents and younger sister died because of the parasite. He became an Axis Human long after the bridge incident happened.” Ruby replied without hesitation.

“Do you know what his power is?” Resse asked as she threw the daggers up repeatedly.

“I don’t know, but he has unbelievable strength,” Ruby replied as she kept making eye contact with Resse.

“Do you know where he lives?” Resse scratched her cheek with the dagger.

“I don’t know, I didn’t ask,” Ruby replied and took a deep breath nervously.

“How old is he?” Resse tilted her head.

“I don’t know, I didn’t ask,” Ruby replied with the same answer.

“You said that he got the watch and the letter on the shore, but we both know the shore was quite far away that it’s a part of FalCon-2. So you’re saying that he lives out there on his own?” Resse squinted her eyes.

“I don’t know, I didn’t ask for the details,” Ruby kept her calm and didn’t show any fear to Resse.

(At the same time in the other room.)

Marlon sighed and leaned on the chair while staring at Archie for quite a while. He looked at the note that he wrote during his interrogation. He was still skeptical about all of his answers but based on the information he got, he doubted that he was Archie Lancaster and just someone who used Archie’s identity to avoid questions.

“Your name is Lance Richer, 23 years old, used to live in the wall but after the bridge incident and your family got killed, you wandered outside the wall after you became an Axis Human.” Marlon looked at the note as he looked back and forth from his note to Archie. “You found Commander Iohann’s watch and letter from the shore while you were wandering around the FalCon-2. You became strong because you spent years outside the wall and didn’t come back because you have no reason to?” Marlon raised his eyebrow as he stared at Archie.

“That’s correct, Sir.” Archie replied calmly.

Marlon threw the note on the table and then rested his head on his fist as he took a long sigh.

“Sir, may I speak?” Archie asked.

“Go on…” Marlon rubbed his nose bridge.

“I heard from Captain Ruby that she went on a mission to find a specific wood to make a ship. If I may, I would be able to help find those woods since I know the terrain around the FalCon-2 like the back of my hand.” Archie tried to change the subject while at the same time trying to convince Marlon that he really lived near FalCon-2 for years.

Marlon hummed and before he could open his mouth, they heard a loud banging come from the wall. They both stood up and Marlon immediately left the room after the banging became louder. Archie followed him from behind and then Marlon opened the door in front of him and saw Resse standing in front of Ruby that lay down on the floor with blood coming out from her nose and mouth. Vincent fell unconscious with blood behind his head, Marlon was shocked and glared at Resse’s hands which were covered with blood.

“Captain Resse Barret!” Marlon shouted at Resse.

Resse turned around and looked at Marlon who glared at her furiously.

“What are you doing?!” Marlon asked as he approached Vincent to check his condition.

“She was lying, Sir… She made everything up…” Resse looked at Marlon.

“That guy, he’s suspicious.” Resse pointed the dagger at Archie while Archie just stared at her without showing any expression.

“Lie? What makes you think she’s lying?” Marlon walked past her to check on Ruby’s condition which looked bad.

“She said that his name is Lance Richer, a guy who lived outside the wall, that’s a total bullshit, Sir!” Resse kept pointing the dagger at Archie while she looked at Marlon who was checking on Ruby’s injuries.

“You said she was lying because you didn’t get the answer you wanted? Take this and read it!” Marlon glared at Resse and shoved the note he took during the interrogation.

Resse grabbed the note and then read it with the blood on her hands dirtied the note.

“This is… this is impossible… they must be conspiring with each other before this happened!” Resse denied the note he took.

“You’re saying that I’m a fool? Is that what you meant, Captain Resse Barret?” Marlon glared at Resse. “Now leave and call the medic to treat them!” Marlon pointed his finger at the opened door.

Resse clenched her teeth and fists but she immediately walked away and went outside.

When she walked past Archie, her whole body went cold and her whole body felt goosebumps, her heart pounded really fast. She looked at Archie who glared down at her and it made her scared shitless that she might die from that gaze.

“What are you doing standing still over there?! Called the medic!” Marlon yelled and glared at Resse. Resse immediately ran while Archie kept staring at her with a resting face.