HALF: DEAD NOR ALIVE

It had been three days since Archie and the others went back to Central Nation, but Eve was still in a deep sleep. Faye and the others were worried and curious about what happened back then that made her like that.

Faye suggested Archie to brought her to the hospital to do some check-ups but Archie didn’t want that because it would only bring trouble for Eve and him as well. Ruby and Vincent were helping him and convinced Faye that it was unnecessary because Eve was fine and didn’t show any symptoms of being sick.

Eve was sleeping so peacefully while Archie stared at her from the other side of the room.

“How is she?” Nova asked as she walked into the barrack after an early morning jog.

“She’s still asleep,” Archie answered and looked at Nova wiping the sweat on her face and neck.

“Has she ever done something like this before? Sleeping like a log for days?” Nova sat down and poured herself a glass of water.

“Yeah, it’s the same as me,” Archie looked at Nova drinking her water.

.?O? “Right, you were like that as well back then after we lured out that dragon,” Nova nodded her head with understanding. “So, what causes that? Do you know?”

Archie smiled and shook his head while he shrugged his shoulders.

“I guess it’s just exhaustion then,” Nova said as she exhaled deeply after she satiated her thirst. “Anyway, I’m going to take a shower now,” Nova stood up and walked toward the other room where the kitchen and bathroom were at.

Archie stared at his backpack and was curious if he could consume it or not, but since he didn’t know if the parasites inside his body were done with evolution or not, he didn’t dare to do it because Eve warned him. All he could do was wait and the only way to waste his free time that came to his mind was to train his flying skill with his wings.

“I shouldn’t waste my time here doing nothing,” Archie said as he stood up and left the barrack.

Archie thought that he might be able to create the same wings that Eve had, the wings like a dragon with just skin and bones. He was observing the anatomy of the dragon and he believed that he could recreate those wings.

“Where are you going early in the morning, Archie? Training?” Ruby raised her eyebrows with a towel on her shoulder that she used to wipe the sweat on her mouth, nose, and eyes.

“Yes, and while you’re here, can I ask you a favor to look after Eve for me? I will be back maybe at noon,” Archie asked as he pointed his thumb at the barrack.

“I don’t mind, but noon? Are you going to “train” your ability?” Ruby asked and looked around to make sure nobody was around and listened to her question.

“Yes,” Archie nodded his head.

“Alright, take your time then, I will make sure she’s not going to be taken somewhere,” Ruby sighed. “It’s not like I want to but I have to or the humans will extinct because of her,” Ruby chuckled.

Archie went to the same forest where he went with Eve back then since it was the perfect spot to train.

Two days had passed and there was no sign of Eve waking up, Archie started to get worried and Faye was also starting to think of bringing her to the hospital.

It was early in the morning, and it was just the four of them in the barrack while Nova was doing her usual activity.

“What are you going to do now, Archie?” Ruby asked with Vincent looking at him from his bed.

“I think if I stay here, Faye will bring some people here to check on her because it’s getting suspicious for someone to sleep for days and not wake up,” Archie answered and looked at Eve. “I don’t want that, so I’m thinking of bringing her away from here until she wakes up,”

“Where are you going to take her?” Ruby asked.

“Northern Nation maybe, I think I can hide her there and I know a guy who can help me there,” Archie said.

“How are you going to go there unnoticed? You know that they have security cameras all over the city, right?” Vincent approached Ruby and stood next to her. “Do you need a hand?”

Archie shook his head. “No, I can do this on my own,” Archie looked at both of them. “Thanks for the offer though,”

Archie grabbed his backpack and put a few t-shirts. his trench coat, and jeans inside the backpack. He then grabbed Eve’s body and carried her on his back while Ruby and Vincent just stared at him.

“I will be back, hopefully,” Archie looked uncertain.

“Take care,” Ruby said as she nodded her head.

Archie left the barrack while Ruby and Vincent watched him leave and disappeared in the darkness.

The sun rose and as Archie expected that Faye came to the barrack with three doctors, Ruby and Vincent were glad that Archie left earlier. Nova, on the other hand, didn’t know anything about Archie’s whereabouts because Ruby and Vincent didn’t tell her about what happened.

“Where’s Archie and Eve?” Faye asked after she looked at their bed was empty.

“I don’t know, we came back from our daily training and they weren’t there,” Ruby lied without hesitation.

“Yeah, when I came back, Ruby and Vincent asked me if I saw Archie and Eve but I didn’t see them as well,” Nova said and looked at the doctors behind Faye with bags in their hands.

“Maybe Eve is awake and right now doing some training with Archie,” Vincent said and looked at Faye.

“Is that so? Well if that’s true, I guess there’s no need for them to be here anymore,” Faye turned around and looked at the doctors. “Just tell me if they’re back,”

“Of course,” Ruby said as she nodded her head.

Faye and the doctors left the barrack as the three of them watched them leave.

(In the Northern Nation)

Ivan was walking on the sidewalk while yawning and a cigarette in his hand, he looked at how peaceful and boring the city was. He was on his way back to his place but he heard something or someone crashing in the alleyway in front of him.

Ivan took a peek with a cigarette in his mouth and saw the big garbage bin got destroyed and someone was kicking the bin away. He furrowed his eyebrows as he puffed the smoke but then he was surprised when he saw Archie standing up with a woman in his arms.

“Archie?!” Ivan shouted with his eyes wide open.

“What are you doing over there?!” Ivan walked into the alleyway as he looked at the beautiful woman in Archie’s arms. “Who is she?”

Archie checked on Eve and she was still in deep sleep after he crushed his landing and ended up in the alleyway. He flew above the clouds to the Northern Nation, he was planning on landing on top of the building but he miscalculated and panicked that he ended up there.

“Perfect timing, Ivan,” Archie said as he walked toward him. “I need your help, can you let me stay in your place for a few days?”

“Sure, but you haven’t answered my question,” Ivan answered as he looked at Eve.

“She’s my…” Archie hesitated and didn’t know what kind of relationship he had with Eve.

Ivan sighed and shook his head. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Ivan said. “Come on,”

“Wait!” Archie said as he looked at Ivan. “Can we use the road where there are no security cameras? There’s a reason and I don’t want to be seen,”

Ivan furrowed his eyebrows and stared at Archie with curiosity. “She’s not someone important that you kidnapped, right? Because I don’t want to deal with the authority,” Ivan said as he pointed at Eve.

“No, it has nothing to do with her or authority, it’s just I don’t want to be seen, that’s all,” Archie said as he fixed his arms to make sure Eve was comfortable in his arms.

“Alright, I believe you, for now,” Ivan said. “I know a way, so just follow me,”

Archie followed Ivan and everyone was staring at Archie because Eve’s beauty that made him the center of attention. He didn’t like that but there was nothing he could do and even if he covered Eve’s face, it only made them suspicious.

“This is the back door to my place, if you’re planning on going out, use this instead of the front door,” Ivan said as he pointed at the door in front of him in the alleyway.

“Thank you, Ivan, I will pay you back later,” Archie replied as he nodded his head.

“Nah, just help me with the work tomorrow, I need someone to take care of the parasites for me,” Ivan said while he leaned on the wall and smoked his cigarette.

“Alright, I will be there,” Archie said.

“Alright then, this place is yours, I will see you later because there are things that I need to take care of first,” Ivan said as he walked toward the road while he waved his hand.