A/N: YAY so another chapter is done and I've hit almost half way mark in this fanfic part. Expect some epic stuff to happen in the next couple of chapters. Its going to blow your mind literally :D

Half a month was all Alice truly needed to cause a rift between the two heads of the Golden Path. The increase profit of Drugs was growing and the local radio guy was often talking on about how the opium fields where increasing, heck Noore was now even in charge of distribution a lot more as well as marketing the stuff out of Kyrati country. Alice had also infiltrated the enemy hard, a man named Darpan was helping to smuggle things in, mainly people and rumour had it he was going to bring in a man of the Ghale Family, Ajah. When Alice had told Pagan he seemed to smile, almost cry a little before thanking Alice so very much.

Today was her last day here as Alice got up and showered doing her morning routine as if she was about to go on her usual recon and gather more intel. Yuma had been stuck in Durgesh for a while now, her insanity had gone over board and Pagan even had Alice keeping tabs on Yuma, but the spider knew too well how to craft her webs and Alice never gained anything more than a little hint of this and that. It seems Yuma had become obsessed with the Myth of Kyrati and an ancient story told through centuries of the place called Shangri-la. No surprise there to be honest but how obsessed Yuma got over it was beyond insanity almost.

Outside the sky was a vibrant blue as always, the heat was nice and welcoming as the sun rose up over the hills, the Soldiers started to wake and prepare for their daily chores, most of them stood watch in the high towers just outside the fortress but the conflict within the golden path had reduced a lot of damage and concern. It seems Amita had taken up a girl named Bhadra, some idol the people seem to worship, especially Sabal whom sickens Alice. Yet Amita was breaking all the rules and traditions, she was craving to save drug plants that Sabal was attacking in hopes of somehow using it to resource them for weapons and Supplies.

Heck there was an old fart from Africa that had come here, a former warlord they say yet a Gospel preacher now. This guy was running the top market of weapons to the Golden Path, though tracking the man down was a little harder than thought, he moved from tent to tent but he seemed intent on getting these Diamonds. Diamons Vaas once had. The thought of the Pirate Lord gave Alice butterflies as she got out of the shower and dried herself off before dressing. She slipped into her black leggings and put on her red singlet before the black vest she wore, it had some punch marks and cuts from pervious battles but it protected Alice during the most vital missions she ever had to go through here.

Next were her army boots as she slipped them on and did up the lace before she looked in the mirror at herself. Her hair had grown now just a little to her shoulders like it used to but Alice was going to get it all cut back into a Mohawk, maybe she might even impress Vaas a little. Picking up the eye liner Alice did the small little fine details before she was finally happy with herself giving one last look up and down before she exited the shower room and walked back into the main room. On the bed she had the black case which contained her bow; she planned on bringing it back with her to Rook. Next to it was her loot bag, it was small and made out of leather but it had all her needs, alongside it was her quiver and a utility belt that Alice had found to come in handy. She strapped the belt on and tossed the quiver over her shoulder before grabbing the last of her things.

Yet before she could walk out that room she paused and took one last look back. Everything was neatly done and packed away; Alice had left the sari which Pagan gave her just in case he wanted it back. Over the time here she had seen Pagans true identity. He was a man pained by the regretful things he's done, taking out his anger on the people and Alice knew now why he hated these Golden Path so much, after all they killed his daughter, his only child. That's why this Ajah fella meant so much to Pagan because he was like a son to him since it was his Mother that Pagan fell in love.

Taking in a deep breath Alice kicked the door open and walked outside, it was often quiet here, Paul was wondering around talking on the phone, he didn't dare a look at Alice, they had gotten along well enough to make their missions work out but apart from that they kept their distance. Yuma and Pagan where out front as Alice walked out and spotted the chopper that awaited her. For some reason she didn't feel like leaving, she didn't want to go back to Rook but she knew she had to, she wanted to get back to Alec first and inform him of the baby she was carrying, she wanted to be wrapped warmly in Vaas' arms and boost to Hoyt about what she had done and then celebrate with Buck with some fireworks again.

Pagan gave Alice a warm hug, he was speaking friendly but his words went by her, Yuma only gave a nod out of respect before Alice got aboard the chopper. How surreal it was to be going back to your home after all this time of just starting to get settled in here, and yet she was up and away high in the sky returning back to the place she loved so much. Her heart was skipping a beat as she sat patiently waiting to arrive at the airport. Pagan had said he would keep in contact with Alice, she was a good asset and if need be he may even call upon her in the future just in case she ever gets board.

~Rook~

As the chopper descended down upon the airport Alice couldn't help but let out a faint laughter, the pilot that had brought her here from Bangkok was just a normal everyday man that kept his mouth shut and got paid a lot for doing his job to this uncharted place. Fast on her heels Alice jumped out of the chopper but she was hit hard by the devastation. Most of the aircraft around here had been blown up, the hangers destroyed and it looked like a huge ass fight had taken place. The Chopper behind her flew up and away before she had time to turn back and ask him anything. He probably knew nothing and that's the way to keep it.

In the Distance Alice noted two familiar looking men, well the colour they wore that is. Privateers with Rifles in hand came rushing over towards her, it was all a sudden a blur to her as they grabbed her by the arm and pointed their guns in her face yelling and screaming, asking her all this none sense while the poor woman stood there with her hands in the air. Somewhere in the distance a man yelled out, it was Rob, he was one of the Privateers Hoyt had skulking around his compound and Alice often saw him guarding the warehouse they kept the slaves in.

"Weapons down!" Rob commanded as he jogged over.

He was wearing his typical uniform, his orange beard looked like it hadn't been shaved in days, he could probably plate it into a braid by now if he wanted to. Those blue eyes of his looked her up and down like as if he saw a ghost before him as he put a hand to her shoulder. Something wasn't right and that's when Alice dropped her bags and looked him dead in the eyes. Apart of her wanted to slap him just to make him tell her what was wrong but instead he only gave her shoulder a tight squeeze.

"Come with us, we need to talk urgently" Rob said as he led the two men and Alice away.

Grabbing her stuff and following after the men, Alice was escorted to a small burnt out vehicle, it was puffing black smoke but still in working order, the engine gurgled and croaked like something from a 90's horror movie, the road was bumpy and looked like someone had been letting off a few too many explosions. Over the bridge Alice could see that it had been blown up but repaired, the new metal grates loosely sat just enough for them to cross over to the other side but Alice couldn't help but watch with caution, she didn't want to go for a swim with the fishes.

Then came the compound…It was a mess, a few soldiers stood around outside and not many of them looked overly happy, not like the last time Alice had saw them. In fact Alice swore the number of men had dropped majorly as the car rolled up outside Hoyts large building. Alice expected the crazed man to be pondering outside by now, but all she heard was the eerie silence, not a single scream or gunshot, it was just so unlike Rook, so unlike the privateers. Then a familiar face caught Alice's, he was standing up near the porch with a drink in hand and a joint in the other, his tan skin had barely changed a notch as Carlos sat drinking away minding his own business.

At this point Alice noted she was still sitting in the car and Rob was looking back at her anticipating for her to get out which she did of course but she left her stuff behind. If a pirate was sitting around here with privateers not causing conflict then something was up for sure as Alice took in a deep breath and walked up the few steps. Carlos didn't notice her, or maybe he didn't wish to as he just looked out past her, out towards the river or maybe the sky or maybe watching a privateer but it was just so eerie, so surreal. Inside the building was worse; Alice couldn't help but look at the emptiness of this place. A Month and a half ago this place had privateers strolling around, ammo lying everywhere, lose change forgotten about and stacks upon stacks of drugs against the walls. Now all there where were dirty tiles and wallpaper, a few small bags of ice opened and scattered about but that was it, no ammo, nothing.

Up the stair ways Alice was led and down the familiar corridor towards Hoyts business room. Apart of Alice was hanging out to see Hoyt seated in that very chair but instead Rob sat in the empty seat and gestured for Alice too take a seat on the opposite side. There was a strange look on the two privateer's faces as Alice looked around, they shrugged when Alice looked at them so she did what she could only do and she took that very seat Rob had gestured too for her to sit in.

"How much has Pagan told you?" Rob questioned as he sat forward in his seat, elbows perched up and hands folded over one another.

This question was strange to Alice as she cocked her head and blinked mindlessly. The last time Pagan said anything to Alice about Hoyt was that everything was going fine, so why was she here having this strange talk with Rob. Was Hoyt about to jump out from behind her maybe and surprise her with a welcome home party? No that wasn't like Hoyt, he would have been waiting for her at the Airport and Vaas would have been there too, so where could they be?

"He said everything was fine, he told me Hoyt didn't need me back…That was at least half a month ago maybe more…" Alice said pondering upon the question.

Could it be possible that Pagan lied to Alice knowing fully well that when she would come back here she would have to face with such a strange change? Where was Hoyt? That was the only question Alice wanted to ask, however Rob only sighed and lowered his head. Rob was the type of person to keep to himself, he always smoked outside on the porch every morning, he would go on patrols by himself, maybe take a new recruit but he could never take too them very well. Then most of the day he would patrol the slave warehouse keeping an eye on them, taking down notes to the ones that were injured by the other men so Alice could keep up rather than having her run around trying to figure out who needs her attention the most.

"Every bodies dead" Rob said in a cold hearted tone.

All of a sudden the blue in his eyes seemed to darken to a grey or was it just how Alice viewed him now as her face turned to a pale white, she took in a deep breath but she couldn't exhale, her mouth was agape but it didn't feel like her mouth, was she about to faint? Her body had turned cold as her eyes shot wide open begging for this to all be some messed up dream, maybe she had taken something that morning but this couldn't have been right. Rob seemed to notice the sudden distress on Alice's face and decided to elaborate more.

"Vaas was stupid enough to let some slave go, turns out this kid named Jason Brody got mixed up with those Native assholes, started killing Vaas' men off, then he took out Buck. Buck for fucks sake! Killed him with some damn knife or something. Can't say the bastard didn't have it coming but…" Rob fell silent and seemed to take in a deep breath.

At this point Alice had looked down to the wooden desk, Hoyt's ash tray was still there, and it was clean and neatly placed to the side. How could this all happen, Buck? A ping of Regret hit Alice, she should have said goodbye, and she really should have. Maybe things wouldn't have gone like this, was it her fault though? Could her not being her have made Vaas so reckless? Sure he let the fat guys run around and he would mess with them, hunting them almost like animals, but it was rare, he would rather torture them, watch their glimmer of hope diminish as he crushes it before their eyes.

"Anyway this Brody kid got way ahead of himself; rumour had it he was with Citra, working for her or something. He killed Vaas…" Rob stopped and looked away from Alice knowing how devastated she was but he had to go on. "Then after that…that bastard came here somehow, snuck himself on the island and got embedded. Fuck remember that guy named Sam? Hardcore as fuck he was, he was in on it all, but Hoyt knew, Hoyt killed them or at least he tried to kill Jason. When that kid was done here he pissed off back to the North Island. Things have been a mess since then."

Rob folded under his own words as he started to tear up. Every Privateer would have been upset, Hoyt was what kept them going, with the drugs, the money, everything they ever dreamed of they had because of him and now it was all taken away. Gulping down her fear Alice stood up on shaky legs, she couldn't look at Rob, not in the face but she knew she could not grieve, she could not allow this to get to her.

"Then what?" Alice said demanding. This caught Rob off guard as he looked up at her.

"Jason was killed, that's what we suspect. Citra took over the North; those Native bastards have been chasing the last few Pirates so much that they came over here. The South is our last stand…We have just about giv-" Rob was about to say how they were about to give up, leave everything behind but Alice cut him off.

"ENOUGH!" She boomed with tears streaming down her face.

This was one heck of a nightmare as Alice sniffled and finally looked up at Rob, her eyes glassy as the reality set in. Vaas took everything from her and gave her a whole new life, built her up into this person and now everything came crumbling down under her, what was home was now dust as she couldn't contain the anger forming inside of her as she clenched her fists tightly.

"We don't give up…" Was all she could say between her sobs.

Rob and the other privateers didn't know what to do, they couldn't say anything, they wouldn't and it was enough for Alice as she turned and walked away not caring for those that would see her tears as she stormed out of the building and outside. Grabbing her stuff from the car Alice picked up what she could and left, she couldn't be in this very place, not anymore it hurt her too much as she stormed out the front gates. However outside those very gates she crumbles, her legs gave way as she folded into the arms of Abel. His face was…it was burnt on one side where his blind eye was, they had carved these marks all over his face and it looked nightmarish.

He held her, held her tightly as she screamed into him while he could only pat her back and kneel before her cradling her. She wished this was all just one big fuck up, just a huge lie to turn into a terrible welcome back party but it wasn't, not like this. From behind the gates came Rob as he jogged out almost looking frightened. Abel looked up at him and nodded, it would be many days before Alice could get up on her own feet and come to terms with things but it would be something they would have to do to get her back up to speed.