Chapter 6: AVA

*Beep*

"Transaction complete'

Words in English appeared in front of his eyes. The words that can be seen only by him. It must be his translator device telling him that the payment has been successful. Halley might understand some of the alien's language, but he still needs a translator to help him understand.

Halley waited as the cashier wrapped the item he bought in a ball glass. Then he took his item once the cashier passed it to him when they finished. Halley left the store and walked through the crowded megapolis town.

Halley was walking casually among the crowds until he saw three figures as if they were made out of iron. Their shape looks like an upside-down triangle with a floating head. They stand by their feet, which are in a rectangle with wheels to walk. They have their weapons hidden in their bodies.

Halley was shocked; he was shivering to death. He walked to the center of the crowd, where he wouldn't be noticed. He turned right at a four-way intersection and ran as fast as he could.

For some reason, Halley never wanted to encounter those aliens. It is because of his past that he was connected with them—a horrible past. He remembered they were called the AVA guards.

They were from a dictatorial planet that likes to collect species from isolated planets. All he knows is that it won't end well. Thus, Halley strived to get away from those guards because he was sure he would be caught and sent back to the cell.

If Halley could, he could fight them. But the AVA planet is known to have the most advanced technology of all the planets and to have colonized this galactic space.

It was also known as the biggest trade route and the center of the economy on all planets. Without AVA, most planets wouldn't be as developed as they are now. Even the intergalactically used language that every planet uses is from AVA. However, this activity of collecting rare species wasn't known very well; in fact, it was kept secret. Most aliens don't believe that AVA is bad.

Halley had been running from AVA for years. God knows how long he has been running away. But he knew that he would never meet face-to-face with the guards. Halley thought he'd already been far enough from those guards. He sighed in relief. Now, he continued to walk to find his spaceship so he could leave that planet.

Come to think of it, why would AVA guards be on this planet? Could it be that they're still searching for him after years? Or maybe it's one of their visits to this planet? Whatever it is, Halley must hurry to leave this place for good.

Halley walked through the underbridge. This might not be the shortcut to the parking lot where he parked his car, but he had no choice but to go this way. As Halley walked through the crowd, suddenly a person pushed him from the back.

Halley was surprised; he thought he was being stabbed. He turned around and grabbed the person who pushed him quickly. He held the hem of the person's hood and lifted it.

They're wriggling and hanging in the air as they're screaming for help. Halley lifted their hood and revealed their faces. Seeing that the hood was removed, they showed their faces to Halley. Which made Halley surprised.

The alien was purple-skinned. Their head was small and looked like a teardrop. They had a long antennae that swirled behind their heads. Their eyes are like two small dots on their face, but they have a normal mouth without lips. Their noses didn't exist.

The person's whole body was covered with a cape, but Halley could see four hands hanging inside the cape. What surprised him was that Halley knew this person, and that person knew Halley as well.

Halley dropped them to the ground with a reflector. The person stood up and fixed their cape. Halley asked their name,

"Are you perhaps..."

"Ah, I know you! You're the first escapee, right?"

Halley's guess was correct. He recognized this person somewhere. The way this person's voice sounded like a little boy despite his real age, there's no way he wouldn't recognize him. They were in the same cell, side by side, as the prisoners of the AVA.

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~flashback~

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Halley recalled how cramped it was to be in this cell. The size of the cell is only as big as his body if he crouches. If he has a claustrophobic phobia, he'll freak out. Now, he only felt uncomfortable in this confined cell. In his misery, he noticed someone was staring at him from a different cell.

He looked back and met those small dots of eyes. Halley felt like he was looking at a doll before he realized it was another prisoner. That person tilted his head in confusion, wondering what he was doing. Halley paid no attention and was busy with his own business until he heard a clear sound.

[Are you okay?]

The voice sounded like a little boy. Halley looked at the prisoner again, wondering if he'd been the one who just spoke. The prisoner smiled at him sincerely as he looked back.

[What happened to your limb?]

The prisoner asked again. It seemed strange for his voice to sound clear while they were in a cell with thick glass. One of his hands pointed at the glass cell that was directed at Halley's missing right arm. Halley's arm wasn't prosthetic.

It was a limbless arm with a bandage. Even though he was full of bandages, they covered half of his face. But the bandage on his face had started to peel off until it revealed a bit of his burned face. Halley back then looked like a survivor of a big disaster. To respond to the little prisoner, he said,

[An accident]

The prisoner asked again,

[Does it hurt?]

[No]

[Will it grow back?]

[No]

[How did it happen?]

[Look, I don't want to talk right now. Leave me alone]

Then the prisoner never talked again during his time here. It was not a month until Halley escaped.

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~Flashback end~

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Now he met that prisoner again, right in front of him. He realized about the AVA guards he saw in the town and the reason why they visited this planet. AVA was tracking this guy all along, and they managed to come to this planet by trailing this prisoner. 

"Ohh, please! Please help me! I'll pay you for anything!! I'll never see you again!! Please! Help me escape from AVA!!"

The guy clung their four arms to Halley's shirt; he was begging him to take him out. Halley was frustrated and annoyed. He shoved the guy off his shirt.

"HELL NO! GET AWAY FROM ME! I AIN'T GONNA GET INVOLVED IN AVA ANYMORE! You're on your own," Halley said as he left the prisoner. But the prisoner followed him.

"But you have to help me! You're my inspiration for my escape! They're going to kill me soon. You're my only hope! I escaped from AVA just to find you!!"

"That's your fault; you're the one who escaped on your own. You should accept it when your death is near. None of this is my business."

The prisoner kneeled and began to cry.

"Please, please save me... You can turn me in. You can leave me out of nowhere. Just get me away from AVA. Please… … "

He crawled to Halley and held Halley's boots. Halley became more frustrated. He wanted to kick the person's head, but he stopped. Halley accidentally got an idea—something like killing two birds with one stone.

"Fine, come with me."

The prisoner looked up and said, "Ah, thank you."

Halley began to run, and the prisoner followed behind him. Fortunately, he had legs like a kangaroo that made him jump and run fast, so he could catch up with Halley.

"Run on your own; I ain't helping you."

"That's okay; my name's Phinx, by the way."

They ran through the end of the bridge. I ran across the crowds of people and through the buildings and houses. Halley stopped when he spotted AVA guards near them. He stopped Phinx and covered his mouth. They waited until the guards left. Then they continued their running.

Halley and Phinx ran to the train station. Halley bought a ticket and went to the nearest open train. He dragged Phinx to the isolated seat, and they were still there.

"Where are we going?"

"You said nowhere."

"yeaah… ..?"

"I'm going to send you somewhere."

"May I ask where?"

"Somewhere, Ava wouldn't come."

"..... Thank you."

They sat in awkward silence. Phinx was too afraid to talk, and Halley was too annoyed to talk to Phinx. They arrived at the first stop. Phinx suddenly gripped the hem of Halley's shirt again. Halley looked at him, annoyed.

"Can I go to the bathroom first?"

Halley rolled his eyes and sighed. He wanted to decline, but he knew it would be more difficult to see him peeing in public. So, he let him go and waited for him.

While Phinx was still in the bathroom, Halley could have escaped. He could leave Phinx on his own in the bathroom. His matter doesn't even matter to him.

But it would mean Halley will fail his 'kill two birds with one stone' plan. He already contacted the person who will help them. For the other benefit of dragging Phinx away from AVA, Halley will wait and go with him.

After 30 minutes, Phinx hasn't come out. Halley is still diligently waiting for him. However, he noticed something. A noise of something getting closer. Halley lifted his guard. He's ready to pull Phinx after he comes out of the bathroom.

Then a figure appeared. From the noise and the silhouette of the figure, Halley already knew, It was the AVA guards, and it wasn't just one. Halley was getting scared.

Four AVA guards were seen walking down the street. Halley hid behind a board so he wouldn't be noticed. But unexpectedly, one of the AVA guards spotted him. It scanned his face and recognized the fugitive from years ago. Then, the four guards lit their helmets. They turned on their kill mode and went straight to Halley. Halley couldn't run; he was forced to fight them.

Since the opponent was metal, he couldn't use his blade. Halley picked up a tiny box from his pocket and lifted it in the air. He kicked one of the AVA guards who was near him, and he caught the tiny box again. This time, the tiny box had turned into a metal cube with handles on top and behind.

Halley held on to the top handle and hit the guards with the cube. The AVA guards let out their weapons from inside their bodies and attacked Halley. They have many kinds of weapons inside. Halley will only have to fight them with his metal cube.

The AVA guards shot their guns at him. Halley turned on the cube AT field and shielded himself. He then stroked the front to attack the guards. Two guards came forward to slice Halley's head. But Halley swung his cube and hit the guards' heads. When the guards got up, he swung the cube again.

One AVA guard attacked from behind; it let out its blade and sliced Halley's back. He quickly turned around and shielded himself with the cube. But he was too late; his forearm got sliced with the blade instead; thankfully, it was his prosthetic arm.

The guards sliced its attack again, and Halley kept avoiding it. He got another slice on his shoulder. Halley pushed the guard with the cube and sent it flying.

The attack wasn't done. Halley was suddenly shot with a laser on his back by one of the guards. He turned around and found the guard launching laser attacks at him. It hit Halley again on his other shoulder. Halley suppressed his pain and lifted the cube to protect him. The guard kept shooting him, and Halley stood still to shield himself. Then he threw away the last laser attack from the guards.

He positioned the cube to his front and held back the two handles. The cube suddenly became bright like a ray gun, holding an attack. The cube then shot a light explosion at the guards and shattered it to pieces.

Halley transformed his cube into a war hammer. The remaining three AVA guards got back to him and surrounded him. They pulled out their weapon and stroked him from every angle. Halley began to swing his hammer.

It took less than five minutes to break the AVA guards into pieces. But it left Halley with lots of wounds. The four guards were out of shape; they looked like broken pieces of old devices that weren't used anymore and were thrown away in the garbage.

Halley also looks worn out; he looks like a man who has survived a car accident. The wounds are not only on his forearm or shoulders but also on his legs and his back. He knew defeating AVA wouldn't be easy. Only four guards could make him suffer like this. Halley sighed in relief that one trouble had finished.

He had enough of waiting. Halley kicked the bathroom angrily. He went in and opened every toilet there. Until he found Phinx crouching on one toe with his four hands on his head. Halley thought what he was seeing now was ridiculous. He had been waiting for an hour just to find out that this guy had been hiding behind him.

Phinx lifted his head and was startled when he saw Halley staring at him. His face was full of tears.

"Ha... have they gone yet??"

"You noticed them coming here before me?"

"Yes, I felt their presence."

"Why didn't you come out and tell me?"

"I'm sorry. I was really scared, so I hid inside the closet."

"Whatever, let's go."

"Ah! Yes."

Phinx came out of the closet and followed Halley. He was shocked to see what happened outside and Halley's condition.

"Did you... fight them all?"

"Yeah, I have to kill all of them because you didn't come out."

"I...I'm...sorry…."

"...…. Keep up your pace; we just go targeted. The other guards will come here as well."

"Yes!"

They picked up their pace and got out of the station.

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Halley and Phinx arrived at another station. Halley rents a car to get to her destination quickly. They just have to wait for the car to arrive. Then the vehicle arrived. It was a car with an auto driver. But the customer could take the lead by being the driver in the front seat. Halley sat in the driver's seat, while Phinx sat in the back. They continued their journey in silence, with Halley driving the car.

Suddenly, there's an unexpected attack from behind. Halley and Phinx were shocked. Halley looked back; he saw the AVA guards pointing their weapons at him while driving their vehicle. Halley cursed in a whisper and drove faster. Phinx, realizing what was chasing him, continued to crouch with four hands on his head.

The race between the AVA guards and Halley begins. Halley didn't care what direction he went in. Even if it drove him away from his destination, he turned off the navigation that was bothering him and began to drift. He went to an alley with an AVA car following him.

Halley had to look both to the back and the front to watch for the road and make sure AVA didn't catch them. He was irritated with Phinx, who couldn't do anything. He shouted at him.

"Hey! If you want to survive, stop cowering and help me out! or I'll throw you to AVA!!"

"NO!! PLEASE!! I'LL HELP! I'LL HELP!!"

"Take the wheel."

"But I can't drive."

"Then shoot the car with my gun."

"But I don't want to kill."

"DO YOU WANT ME TO THROW YOU TO AVA!!?" Hally was in a rage.

"I'm sorry!! Please don't kill me!!!"

"Then shoot the dang car!"

Halley threw his gun into the backseat. Phinx picked it up slowly, but Halley instructed him to hurry up. He opened the car window and positioned Halley's gun in the AVA car. AVA launched another shoot; Phinx was cowering again until Halley told him to hurry up. Phinx gathered up his guts and shot the AVA guards from his position.

First shot, second shot, third shot—Phinx was hopeless. Meanwhile, Halley's driving the car up to the bridge. The AVA didn't stop shooting either, which made Phinx grow scared. Then he tried the fourth shot. It is still missed. AVA shot another bullet, and it hit the car window; it almost hit Phinx's face. Phinx went back to his crouching, hands on his knees.

"What are you doing!!? Shoot it!! It's only one car!!"

"I can't... I can't... I'm scared..."

"Gosh, dang it, wait."

Halley pushed the gas, and the car went faster. He drove the car until he was at the end of the bridge.

Halley drifted in the other direction when he was already off the bridge. Then he went faster again. Halley could see AVA still following behind them. They are still shooting their weapon at Halley. Halley looked at Phinx and instructed him to grab the gun.

"Now's your chance; do it."

"No, I can't; it won't get hit."

"If you want to live, you have to do it. or else I'm shoving you out of the car."

With that threat, Phinx had no choice but to grab the gun. He positioned the gun like before and shot the AVA car. After three shots, it always missed. Phinx shot it again. This time, the bullet hit the guard who was shooting at them. Phinx shot another one. Then the bullet hit the driver. The AVA car suddenly lost its balance, and it crashed into a nearby building.

"YEAHHH!!! THAT'S IT!!! That's what I'm talking about!" Halley shouted, and he was finally satisfied with him.

"I... I did it". Phinx didn't realize he could do it. He shed his happy tears.

"You did it on your first try; good job."

"The... Thank you…."

"Now, don't get so happy at first. It's only one car; the next is going to follow."

Then they continued their journey in silence.

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The car stopped in front of an old house. It was already night, but the house was still lit. Halley went and knocked on the door. Phinx got out of the car and stared at the house. It might look old, but it was huge and colorful.

The door opened after one knock, revealing an old lady with a membrane and no hair on her head. She only has a mouth that is almost covered with her loose cheeks. Her nose had only two long ellipses, side by side, on her face. She has Tosca-green skin that glows lightly at night. She wore only a cloth that covered her whole body. Her hand doesn't have a finger, and it looks like a fin.

She greeted Halley with her quiet voice and welcomed the boys to her house. She prepared tea while engaging in a conversation.

"Halley, you look worn out. Have you been fighting, dear?"

"No, Baba Mistch. I just caught up in an accident."

"That's sad. But I guess that's your risk for trying to keep my product safe."

"I'm sure I am."

"Now, where is my product?"

Halley pointed at Phinx, who realized he was mentioned. Mistch walked closer to him and scanned his face.

"Well, this is a fine man! I'm impressed; you keep your word, Halley."

"What?" Phinx asked in confusion.

Halley walked to Mistch with a smirk on his face.

"You happy, Mistch?"

"Yes, I am; you brought such a fine man! I shouldn't doubt your delivery.

Phinx still has confusion on his face. He stared at Halley and asked for an explanation. Halley, who understood his expression, answered him,

"You will live with this old lady from now on; I sold you."

"You…. What?"

"This is the place where AVA or even any government wouldn't come. You can do whatever you want, but you belong to this old lady."

"But, who is she?"

"She's my client. She said she wished to have a son, so I brought you here."

"You could have let her adopt me."

"What do I get in return, then?" Halley shrugged as he stated his final answer. Mistch was rumbling her desk and pulling out a card that contained money. She approached Halley and gave the card to him.

"Oh, he got money in return. And you there, young man, are going to live here with me. I'm sure you won't mind taking care of an old lady, right?"

Mistch's face lightened up from the Phinx perfective. He felt like he could give it a chance to be with this old lady. Rather than being trapped in a cramped shell and being determined to die, this place is warm enough to live in, and he even has his bedroom to sleep in. Phinx nodded excitedly, which made Mistch laugh warmly.

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Halley received his payment and was forced to stay for healing since he was still covered in wounds. Halley then left four hours later. He was fresh, full, and relieved. Halley had known that woman for a long time, and he knew what kindness Mistch had for a mere creature.

Recalling her wanting a child, Halley wanted to offer her something good. He never thought Mistch would accept buying it. But the payment was good, and Halley thought that Phinx could relax in that place.

Halley left the house and walked down the street. His rented car has finished its duration and has already gone back to the station with the auto driver. Now, he had to walk or maybe run to find his spaceship again.