HALF: Dead nor Alive

“So? Where do you want to go next? You got a lot of money, your stomach is full, what else do you want?” Ivan asked as he burped and rubbed his stomach.

“Drink, I need to get a drink,” Archie answered because he saw a bottle sign in the distance.

“A drink? In the middle of the day? Sure, why not, come on,” Ivan said as he walked past Archie. “Oh, I think I know a place where you can get more money without having to deal with parasites. Are you interested?” He said as he turned his head to look at Archie.

“Like what?” Archie asked.

“Have you ever fought another Axis Humans? I mean, you must have done it before but here you can get money if you win a fight,” Ivan answered as he stretched his arms.

“I’m not interested in that stuff, I don’t want to hurt people for fun,” Archie answered as he looked at Ivan.

“Really? I guess you already had parasites to kill out there but here, people can’t do that anymore so they decided to use their power for entertainment and of course, to feel superior to the others,” Ivan replied with his hands behind his head.

“I guess that makes sense, but I think it would be fine to watch them while having a drink,” Archie said while he looked at the bright sky with no clouds.

“Alright, let’s go there now then,” Ivan said with excitement.

It took them 30 minutes to reach their destination, and Archie looked at the building that looked quite big. They both entered the building and were immediately welcomed by the screams of people cheering at something.

Archie looked at two people inside a caged ring and they were punching each other with their faces covered with blood. He smiled and shook his head as he followed Ivan from behind to the counter.

“Yo, Ivan!” A guy with purple hair and weird glasses and a shirt called Ivan from the corner of the room.

“Yo!” Ivan shouted back at him. “Come on, he’s the owner of this place, he’s one of my customers if they needed energy for the electricity,” he grabbed Archie’s arm and dragged him to the guy.

“What are you doing here at this hour? Do you have some kind of business? Don’t tell me you’re planning to charge more money for the energy?” The guy asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

“No, I wouldn’t rise the price for that or at least to my loyal customer. I’m here for a drink with this new friend of mine, his name is Archie and he’s a beast!” Ivan replied as he pointed at Archie.

The guy lowered his glasses and stared at Archie with his eyebrows furrowed. “You can call me Tarkov,” he said as he offered his hand for a handshake.

“Archie,” Archie replied as he shook Tarkov’s hand but he didn’t want to let go as if he was testing, Archie’s strength.

“Wow, you’re not lying, this guy’s hand is like a fucking rock!” Tarkov said as he removed his hand from Archie’s hand. “Are you interested to get in that cage, Archie? If you win, you will get plenty of money,” he asked as he nodded up at Archie.

“I’m sorry, I’m here just for a drink and to watch the fight,” Archie answered as he watched one of the guys get knocked out.

“Ah, fuck! My guy just got knocked out again,” Tarkov said as he slapped his knee. “Anyway, enjoy your drink, if you need anything just come to me,” he said as he lit his cigar.

Ivan and Archie went to the counter and grabbed themselves a drink.

“What the fuck? Did you just drink it all in a single gulp?” Ivan asked as he looked at Archie with disbelief.

“Well, I’m thirsty and it has been a while since I have a drink,” Archie answered as he asked the bartender for a refill.

“No shit,” Ivan said as he kept staring at Archie and sill in disbelief.

They both were enjoying the show until a drunk guy walked past them and blocked their view. Ivan stared at him and kicked him in the butt, the guy fell off and that was enough to make Ivan bursted out laughing, but his laughter disappeared the moment he saw a tattoo on the guy’s back.

“Oh fuck! Archie, I’m sorry but I have to go to the toilet! Be right back!” Ivan ran as fast as he could and Archie thought Ivan couldn’t hold his bladder anymore.

“Who the fuck kicked me?!” The guy stood up as he turned around and saw only Archie behind him. “You! Do you have a death wish or something?!” He said as he pointed his finger at Archie.

Archie just raised his eyebrows and looked at the drunk guy.

The guy pulled his hand and clenched it at Archie then threw it at him but Archie dodged it and the guy hit his face on the counter. It was enough to take everyone’s attention and they were looking at the guy’s tattoo on the back and immediately didn’t want to get involved in the mess.

“Hey! What’s with the commotion?!” Tarkov asked as he walked through the crowds, but then he saw the guy with a tattoo laying on the ground. “Tsk, not again. Did you do something to him?” he asked as he rested his hands on his waist.

“Why would I mess around with people who I don’t know?” Archie answered.

“I believe you, you don’t seem like that kind of a guy,” Tarkov replied as he walked toward the tattoo guy. “Come on, get up you useless piece of shit,” Tarkov said as he pulled the guy up.

“Tarkov, what’s happening here?” A tall guy asked with a tattoo on his neck as he looked at the guy.

“This… fucking guy… just kicked me,” the drunk guy said as he pointed at Archie.

“Hey! Hey!” Tarkov said with his arm trying to block the neck tattoo guy from approaching Archie.

Archie just stared at the guy with his hand clenched, Archie couldn’t tell if the guy was an Axis Human or not because it should be impossible for any ordinary human to act superior to that Axis Human. The guy threw a straight punch while Archie was thinking about him but Archie dodged it so easily, and then the guy threw a jab at him.

Archie grabbed the guy’s hand and he could tell how strong his punch was and confident that he was an Axis Human. Archie threw a left hook on the guy’s ribs and then slammed his head to the floor and his head bounced once before he got knocked out.

Tarkov’s eyes were wide open as he saw the guy laying on the ground unconscious, and then he looked at Archie with disbelief. “Did you just really knock this guy out with less than a second?!”

“I don’t know, I didn’t count the time,” Archie said as he sat down and grabbed his drink.

“You know, I’m kind of impressed but I think you just chose the wrong opponent because you just got yourself a trouble for this,” Tarkov said as he looked at the tattoo guy on the ground. “It’s better for you to stay low for a month so these guys won’t come at you,” he warned Archie with a bit of worried expression.

“Who are these guys? I know for sure they’re Axis Humans, but why are they acting like this?” Archie asked as he looked at the guy on the ground.

“I don’t know why you don’t know about them, but they’re the one who runs the city, and these guys used to be the best Axis Humans back in the days. After the city was rebuilt, they contributed the most so it made them the owner of this city if that’s what you want to hear,” Tarkov explained.

“Since when are the Axis Humans acting like a prick? The last time I remember the Axis Humans lives to serve the people, but what is this?” Archie asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

“The time has passed, Archie, everything has changed, we are just nothing but walking money to them,” Tarkov answered as he sighed. “It’s not the right time for you to chit-chat because sooner or later the rest will come and if they see you, you will be in big trouble, Archie,” he continued.

“Really? Then I will be waiting here and waiting for them. I don’t like when people act superior to others especially Axis Humans. Let them come and I will give them a lesson no matter how many of them,” Archie said and then emptied the glass as he stood up.

“Well, if you want to do that, can you do it outside? I don’t want any mess in my place,” Tarkov said.

“Just give me their base location, I will go straight to them,” Archie said as he tightened his gloves.