“Impossible…” Cold Chief mutters under his breath as he stands over the empty vault. “Is this one of your tricks!?” Chief growls as he tosses Beat aside and points the gun at Chad. With a gun aimed at his face, Chad couldn’t help but laugh, “I wish I could see your face. I bet you look really stupid right now”. Cold Chief grabs Chad by the collar, pushing the gun into his cheek, “What did you do? Where is it!?”, he shouts. Chad smirks, “I don’t know but even if I did I wouldn’t tell you”.

Cold Chief responds with silence, then he starts chuckling before breaking out into laughter. He releases his grip on Chad and pulls the gun away. “You’re right. How silly of me”. The immediate threat is gone, but Chad knows something is very wrong. He takes a quick glance at Beat who stands up and dusts some snow off his head. He doesn’t seem to be seriously hurt. If Cold Chief is not after Beat, then one question remains: “What's so funny?” Chad asks. “You haven’t noticed?” Chief replies. “I don’t blame you. You were too busy kicking ass to notice. I must admit that Atlas does live up to its reputation. You’re probably one of the best soldiers I’ve ever seen and would have made a fine addition to the Fallen Angels. But have you ever wondered why the Royal Army hasn’t moved an inch since we put handcuffs on them?” he points over to the quivering men on their knees. “Those handcuffs are rigged with bombs and they are quite convenient for hostage situations like this. The bomb triggers if one of them is further than 6 feet away from the rest of the group. So, if one tries to get up and escape, they all explode”, he cackles. “But if I’m feeling impatient, I can just press this button right here”, he says holding up a remote device.

Anger flashes in Chad’s eyes, “I thought killing humans was against your code”, he says coldly. “Sometimes the end justifies the means”, Cold Chief shrugs. “But I’m not an unreasonable man. I’m willing to bargain if you are?” Chad raises a brow, “A bargain?” Chief nods, “Yes, the lives of those men for the contents inside that vault.” Chad shakes his head, “I already told you I don’t have it.” “And I believe you,” Chief replies, “but you are a smart guy, I’m sure you'll be able to find it for me”. Chad clenches his teeth while clenching his fist in frustration. All Chad could think about was bashing his head with his fist. He looks over to Beat only to find him missing. He must have run off while he had the chance. It can’t be helped, it's in their nature.

With no other choice, Chad gives in. “I’m going to need more information if I’m going to look for it”, he says reluctantly. Cold Chief ponders for a moment before answering, “I suppose I can tell you something”. He activates his communication device. “Bring in the helicopter, we’re done here”. He turns his attention to Chad, “Have you ever heard of Dr. Steven Techno? World famous scientist, the guy who discovered Astro Terra. You’ve probably read about him in your history class”. “Of course I have”, Chad responds, “But he’s been dead for years now. How’s he relevant to all this?” Cold Chief continues, “The world knows him as a philanthropist, it's probably what you grew up hearing your whole life. But what if I told you he had some skeletons in his closet?” Chad is curious, “What kind of skeletons?” Chief answers, “The kind that killed millions”.

“Thirty years ago the human race almost went extinct when Chimera invaded our planet. With hundreds of thousands dying every day, the world government was running out of time. So they pooled all their resources to Dr. Techno in order to create a weapon that could defeat Chimera. Long story short, he succeeded. And I’m sure you’re able to figure out what happened from there”. Chad is stunned by this information, but horrified by its implication, “How the hell do you know all this?” “I have my sources”, Chief answers, “But it took years and a lot of blood to get it. We discovered that the weapon is never kept in one location for very long. Our sources said that the weapon would be here, however someone else got to it first”. The situation is worse than what Chad has imagined. The weapon is not with the Royal Army, or the Fallen Angels. It is in the worst place imaginable: anywhere.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

The helicopter arrives, hovering over the ground while its propellers buzz loudly, blowing wind and snow in every direction. Fallen Angel soldiers hop out of the helicopter. They place bags over the heads of the Royal Army before escorting them into the helicopter. “I’ll give you three days”. Cold Chief shouts over the whirling propellers. “After that I will start killing one man for each day I don’t have the weapon in my hands”. He walks over to the helicopter but stops midway and turns to Chad. “Oh, I almost forgot,” he reaches in his pocket and tosses a burner phone to Chad. “We’ll keep in touch”. He climbs onto the helicopter before flying away with the kidnapped hostages.

Chad takes a deep breath, “stay calm, and focus”, he whispers. He has no time to spare. He goes straight to the vault to see if he can find any clues. Instead, he finds Beat trembling inside the vault. “A-are they gone?” he asks. Chad rolls his eyes, “Yeah, they’re gone”. Beat hops out of the vault to meet Chad. “I thought I was going to die just now, thanks for saving me”. Chad is not amused, “Don’t thank me just yet. You have some explaining to do”. Beat laughs nervously, “Oh, um, I actually have somewhere to be. So thanks again, and good luck!” He bolts for the nearest exit, but Chad cuts him off immediately. He disappears and reappears almost as if it were magic. “Wha- How do you do that!?” Beat asks. “Teleportation device,” Chad answers, showing off the device on his wrist, “I call it the Showstopper”. “Wow! Does everyone in Atlas have one of these?” Beat asks while marveling over the device. “Nope,” Chad explains “It’s one of a kind”. “Well, I can see why”, Beat adds, “I’m pretty good with tech, but I’ve never seen anything close to this”. Beat tries to touch the device but Chad snatches his wrist, “Don’t even think about touching it, got it?” Beat nods nervously.

Chad releases his grip and begins his interrogation. “So, what’s your name?” “Um, Beat”, he answers nervously. “Okay Beat, allow me to formally introduce myself,” Chad responds, “I am Master Class Soldier, Chad Funk of Atlas”. “That’s a long name,” Beat replies, “I think Chad Master Funk has a better ring to it”. Chad facepalms, “That's not- Never mind!” Chad shakes his head and regains his focus, “Why are you on the Royal Army base?”

Beat feels his heart sink into his stomach. “Can I trust this guy with the truth?”, he thought. “After all, he did save my life. I owe him that at least. But what if he turns me in? Or worse, he can kill me right now if he knew what I tried to do!” His head spirals out of control while calculating the risks. His conscience swings back and forth between right and wrong until he hears, “You can be honest”. “Huh?” Beat snaps out of his own thoughts. “I’m a merc,” Chad explains, “I can’t interfere with the laws of the land. That's the second order of our creed. But that doesn’t mean I have to obey it. Everything you tell me stays between us”.

One question comes to Beat’s mind when hearing this, “Why did you save me? You could have just let me die and saved the other humans. Honestly if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be in this mess right now. I mean, don’t you hate me for what my people did to yours?” Chad stares at Beat in complete silence. In the midst of the wintry storm, he finds a calming confidence in Chad. Something he’s never felt in all his life. “You are not guilty of your father’s sins”, Chad answers with conviction. “I believe everyone deserves second chances. No matter how bad their past may be. We all have demons to struggle with. Yours just happen to be different from mine. Now, you can sit here and feel guilty for what you did or didn’t do, or you can steer your life in the direction you want it to go. You can do what is right, and prove to the world they are wrong about you”.

Beats eyes swell with tears. No one has ever spoken to him like this before. He can feel the grip of shame and guilt release from his past. He has an opportunity worth more than any treasure he could ever find. Wiping the tears away from his eyes, he accepts Chad’s offer of redemption, “What can I do?”. Chad smiles, “You can help me find the weapon and save those men”. Beat nods, “Okay, where do we start?” Chad stands up on his feet, “First, we go see the Captain”.