How long can I last?

There was only one reason why someone would stare at something so intently. And it usually meant that said person didn't want to be seen.

'So much for hiding.'

This person wanted to attack.

My mind raced as I took a look back inside the car.

Lianne sat calmly beside me, humming a lullaby. She hadn't moved an inch since I first spotted the mysterious figure.

'What a weird kid.'

Tap!

There was a quick step out of the shadows and then another.

Tap!

Tap!

Soon enough, the silhouette of the person was revealed.

Eh? A woman?

Wait, no...

It was a lady dressed in a black dress that was torn halfway through. It looked like someone had ripped it apart using their bare hands.

Raped? Nah, I doubt it.

Her black hair was disheveled and matted with blood, revealing deep cuts on her scalp. Most likely caused by the claws of an alien.

But how could she survive such an injury? Or maybe she just got lucky?

Whatever the case, she was definitely alive, which was a miracle considering how badly injured she was.

She held onto a long pipe tightly in both hands.

Her face was covered in dirt and sweat, but despite her appearance, there was a certain beauty to her. A mysterious aura enveloped her entire body.

She walked closer and closer until she was directly in front of us.

When she finally reached us, she stared straight at me.

For a moment, I felt like time had slowed down.

I could see every inch of her face. From her dark brown eyes, to the freckles across her cheeks, to the scars on her forehead, to her perfectly plump lips, to the long neck that stretched beyond her collarbone...

And lastly, the delicate pale fingers gripping onto the door handle.

"Hi there," she said with a gentle smile.

"Hello, pretty ladeh!" Fredrick slurred back. He leaned backwards in the driver seat and extended his hand to the lady.

"Nice to meet ya! My name's Fredrick, but everyone calls me Fred. I can call you…"

"Xian."

"Xian."

He grinned and pumped his fist in the air the moment the car's engine revved. "Yeah! Xian! Awesome! Now that we got that outta the way, why don't you hop in the car and we'll go on a lil' road trip together?"

The lady tilted her head.

'Why do I feel something isn't right?' I wondered.

Was this lady really human? Or was she actually an alien in disguise, like those men had suspected Lianne to be?

If she wasn't, why would she be wandering around alone, without anyone to protect her?

Suddenly, the feeling of unease grew inside me. This woman gave me a bad vibe.

"Drive!" I muttered in hopes of Fredrick hearing me.

He didn't seem to notice. Instead, he continued talking to Xian.

"Well then, what're we waiting for? Let's get outta here, shall we?"

Frederick opened the passenger door and patted the seat next to him.

What an idiot!

When it came to ladies, he was always overly friendly and easily infatuated with a pretty face or body. But now, he seemed different.

Too nice.

Maybe too nice.

He couldn't take his eyes off the lady's face, even with the strange bruises and blood on her.

"Come on, Xian. Get in! You don't wanna stay here by yourself, do ya?"

"No." Xian nodded. "I don't."

I glanced over to Lianne, who was sleeping peacefully. Her chest rose and fell steadily, giving off the impression of a peaceful dream.

This was the perfect opportunity to remind Fredrick about our situation.

I slipped out a dagger from one of the bags under my arm and slipped it into my belt strap behind my back.

"Listen up," I whispered. "We have to get away from here. As fast as possible."

"Huh?"

"There's something about her... I can't really put it out, but she might be an alien, or maybe not, but either way, she looks too suspicious. So please—"

"What's wrong? Did I scare you, 'skilled human'?"

'How did she know about that word?'

I narrowed my eyes at Xian, mouthing the last words.

The way she spoke made it obvious that she wasn't exactly human. But if she was an alien, wouldn't she have some kind of special power?

'We're in big trouble, Fredrick,' I thought. 'We need to leave before we run into more problems.'

But instead of listening to me, Fredrick started chatting with Xian before turning back to me.

"Oh yeah, so you were saying?"

"I said nothing."

I bit my lip.

I tried again. "Look. We need to get out of here now."

"No, no, you've got it all wrong!" Fredrick shook his head. "I'm telling you, this is our chance to make a friend!"

"Xian?" I called, feigning a bright smile.

Xian turned towards me, curious.

"Where did you say you were from?" I asked, trying to sound friendly.

"Huh?"

"You know. Where are you from? Like where you live. Your hometown."

"My home is Earth."

"Earth?!"

I let out a sigh.

As much as I wanted to believe Xian, I couldn't ignore the fact that she looked too suspicious to trust.

There was no doubt in my mind that she was an alien in disguise.

I looked to Fredrick; all it took was one response from Xian to my next question to make him understand how serious this situation was.

"Guessing from your accent, you're from somewhere in Kuji Co town?" I asked.

"Yup! That's right." Xian smiled brightly.

Fredrick stiffened.

"Kuji Co town…?" He stared at Xian blankly.

She had just admitted that she lived in an imaginary town. A place that only existed within Fredrick and I's minds as a means to diss the company we worked for.

And yet, she still had the nerve to tell us that she was from there.

Fredrick forced a smile on his face and laughed nervously. "Yeah, that sounds like something a good ole boy from Kuji Co town would say."

"Really?" Xian tilted her head to the side.

Fredrick gave a salute before stepping on the gas pedal.

Boom!

Xian jumped and dropped on the car's hood, punching a hole through it with ease.

The car screeched to a halt.

"My car!!! C'mon!" Fredrick screamed but pushed back, jumping out of his seat and joining me in the back.

"Ouch!" Xian cried, clutching her hand.

Her skin had been burned black, making it impossible for her to hold one of her pipes.

I held onto Lianne protectively while Fredrick drew his pistol from his holster.

"Xian! Don't come closer!" he yelled.

"Why not?" She grinned. "If I can't use my powers because of those shitty humans that found out my identity, then what's the point in staying hidden? Come out and play with me, 'human'."

Pow!

A gunshot echoed through the air.

I covered Lianne's ear, praying silently. She sleeps through the noise, like a breeze.

Luckily, she only stirred and curled further in a ball into my arms.

Xian stood still, staring at the bullet hole in her heart. Her mouth hung open wide as blood trickled down from the wound.

"Liar." She coughed. "Your bullets are useless against me; you missed my main vitals."

She pointed at her head, grinning widely.

Sigh!

I didn't want to resort to violence, but at the same time, I didn't want to die without putting up a little show either.

"Fred," I whispered, looking up at him. His expression told me everything: he was scared shitless due to an empty gun.

"What do we do?" he muttered quietly. "That was my last bullet; I fucked up!"

'It's all up to me, huh?'

His hands trembled as they gripped the gun tightly, scared that she would see through his bluff.

"Stop!" I commanded, grabbing his wrist.

He glanced over at me. "What the hell are you doing? You want to die?"

Ignoring his complaints, I handed Lianne over to Fredrick, who cradled her like a baby. Then I placed myself between them and Xian.

"I feel I'm the target here; you stopped our car because you sensed my aura. Am I right, Xian?" I raised an eyebrow, waiting for her reply.

She nodded. "You're smarter than I thought. I like that."

"What rubbish are you talking about, Allen? This is ridiculous!" Fredrick exclaimed, shaking his head furiously.

"Don't be so dramatic, Fred," I replied, crossing my arms.

"You are the skilled user our race has been searching for." Xian pointed her pipe at me.

"Who said anything about being skilled?" I scoffed. "I can't even fend off one of your attacks. And you think I have some kind of special power?"

"Hm…" She tapped her chin. "I thought so."

"Allen, what are you doing?" Fredrick hissed, frowning at my blatant lie about my combat capabilities in relation to my past lifestyle.

I had given up my lifestyle as an infamous underground fighter and hitman for six years after my sister eloped, by working for Kuji Corp. But if we were going to get anywhere close to leaving here alive, I needed to win this battle.

So, I decided to go ahead and fight Xian.

"Oh, don't worry, Fred; I guess I'll start my adventure now." I smiled sweetly. "Let's see how long I last against her, shall we?"

"Allen... What are you trying to do?" He repeated, shaking his head.

"Nothing too big. Just make sure Lianne stays safe, okay?" I winked, watching Xian carefully.

I could tell she was ready to attack at any moment, especially when she saw that Fredrick wasn't holding a weapon anymore.

I knew it would be a bad idea to let her catch me unawares, hence why I took control of the situation first before she did.

"This is my chance." I pulled my phone from my pocket and opened up the camera app, handing it over to Fredrick.

"What do you plan on doing? Take a video of your failure." Xian snickered.

"We need proof of your abilities. Otherwise, we won't believe you if you claim you found someone else capable of doing all of that to your pretty face." I shot another look at Xian, whose eyes widened slightly.

"Fine," she sighed. "But don't blame me when you get hurt."

"Don't worry, I won't," I replied, smirking.