Deadlock Pt. 1

The storm clouds flowed through the night, ushering in a humid morning and streets damp with water.

Upon the lot of an empty sector, the remnants of a warehouse rested. The explosion that ruptured it did not go unnoticed, as the news spread like wildfire within the High Order. Here, a battle ensued between General Hela and the captain of Calypso.

A platoon of soldiers was investigating the area, hoping to surface any hints leading to the Calypso squad's whereabouts. An hour passed, and there was no such luck.

"Hey, you," the captain called for me. "Go check out the warehouse. See if you can uncover something."

"Yes, sir," I replied with a salute.

In the back of my head, there were a lot of things I wish I could say. However, as a soldier who serves the High Order, I'm not allowed to voice them.

For example, this warehouse. Fallen debris littered the ground. Ashes covered the corner left untouched by the storm. Cracks in the wall made it seem like this place could cave in at any moment. If there truly was something salvageable, it would've already been claimed by the previous squad.

Point in case... Well... There is no point. That's just it. This entire investigation is pointless.

"Yo, Solas!" someone ran over to greet me.

He took off his helmet, revealing a big, friendly smile. Though, I could not give him the same treatment.

"Haven't seen you in a while," he smiled. "How's it going?"

"In case you forgot, taking off your helmet during operations is strictly forbidden, Kai."

"Sheesh, it's only for just a moment. Besides, there's barely anything left to uncover here. General Hela and Holiday of Calypso apparently clashed right where we're standing. With the destruction that would surely follow, I'm surprised the warehouse remnants are still standing."

Holiday... She's the captain of the legendary ex-Athenian squad, Calypso. Seven years ago, they disappeared after raising their weapons against the High Order.

At the time, I was only seventeen years old. There isn't much that I remember during those times, but I do know of a certain Holiday. At least, when I learned who she really was. I wonder how she's doing.

"Can you believe it, though?" Kai asked.

"Believe what?"

"The Calypso squad is back. I was playing video games when they hacked every screen in the city. Lost the match... and it was ranked. Anyway, I still get chills. Just yesterday, General Hela and Holiday of Calypso faced off right where we're standing. Isn't that dope?"

"Sure."

"...Can you at least act like you're interested?"

"Interested in what?"

"Eh?! Were you not listening to everything I just said?"

"Just get to work. I don't wanna stay here for any longer than I have to."

Like Kai, I am a soldier who serves the High Order. At any given moment, an order can be issued, and I have to respond like the dog I am, no questions asked. I sometimes wonder why I'm so complacent, but I never found a plausible answer.

I searched around the back—nothing but shattered concrete and rocks. I knelt on the ground to look through the crates—nothing but soot and burnt steel.

Yep. This mission is one of those missions meant to kill time for us soldiers who serve no purpose.

"D-Doctor Frankenstein!" someone exclaimed from behind me.

I twisted my head around to see a young woman much shorter than me. Her long, messy ice-blonde hair swept to the side, flowing with the intense wind. There was a single blue strand curving down to her face. She stood with the glaring sun behind her, casting a silhouette, yet her radiant violet eyes shined right through—and in them was a pair of hollowed diamonds.

She wore an oversized jacket, keeping her shoulders exposed. Underneath was a tight and cropped sleeveless shirt, adorned by cute accessories. A pair of thin shorts wrapped around her waist, and upon the belt that kept it in place was a small tactical bag.

All soldiers immediately ceased their activities and stood up straight with a salute, yet she paid them no mind. Instead... I could swear that her eyes were fixed on me and only me.

"Whoa, dude..." Kai whispered. "Is she... coming to us?"

I'm sure Kai is trying his best to not let out a squeal right now. There isn't a bigger fan of Frankenstein than him in the whole city.

Finally, she stopped in front of us, a relaxed grin stretching her face. At first, she looked at me, then her attention turned to Kai.

"You. Where is your helmet?" she asked.

"Eh? Uh... I-it's over there, ma'am!" he shouted unnecessarily.

"Is that so? You do know that taking your helmet off during operations is strictly forbidden, don't you?"

"I... I do, ma'am."

"And yet, you chose to go against it anyway. Shall I show you what happens to those who break the rules?"

Her hand reached for a pistol hanging by her waist. The moment she pointed it at Kai's forehead, I stepped in between them.

"I told him to take it off, Doctor," I said. "If you wanna kill anyone, kill me."

For a moment, she looked at me with wide eyes, and while maintaining them, that devilish smile grew once more. She pushed the barrel of the gun forward until the tip was touching my forehead.

"Remove your helmet," she said.

"No can do, ma'am. After all... I wouldn't wanna break the rules."

"Hah... I'll make an exception for you. Remove it. Now."

In the army, orders are orders. Unless it is an established rule, soldiers can not disobey their commanders. Any attempts to do so would mark that individual as defective. What twisted logic.

Nonetheless, I reached for my helmet and popped it off. The moment she saw my face, her smile faded. It was then replaced by a softer one.

"Well, well. No wonder you were so confident," she chuckled as she holstered the pistol. "Fine. I'll let you off the hook this time, soldier. Be a dear and don't do it again, hm?"

"T-thank you, ma'am!" Kai shouted.

She then looked back at me. "And you... Come with me."

With that, she walked off. I let out a sigh and followed her.

"Thanks, man," Kai whispered.

"Don't mention it."

Frankenstein led me down an alley of shrubs and bushes, away from all the soldiers and noise. We reached a secluded area filled with artificial trees and flowerbeds.

"Aha! Finally alone," she giggled. "The things I could do to you out here, and no one would ever know, Solas."

"Am I supposed to be scared?"

"Well, anyone would be, but you... You're someone who doesn't care about dying, so it's not fun to mess with you anymore. At least, not as much as it was back then."

"Don't even start. I was not scared of you back then."

"Oh, yes, you were. I don't know who you're trying to fool, but I have it all saved in my memory bank. Shall I extract them for you?"

"...No."

"Hm?"

While I tried to avoid eye contact, she kept leaning in closer.

"Solas? What's wrong?" she asked with that sarcastic tone of hers.

"Enough, Alexandria..."

"Hehe, oops. I forget you don't like people being so close to you, but you'll make an exception for me, won't you?"

"Absolutely not, especially not you."

"Aw, I'm hurt."

Despite her... sadistic tendencies and that horrifying vibe she gives off, she is a person I've come to know and respect.

Doctor Alexandria Schmid, second-grade Athenian, code name: Frankenstein. Normally, a regular soldier like me wouldn't be allowed to get close to her. But in my case, I've known Alexandria for a very long time, and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.