(A/N: Feel like I maybe should have made this espionage subplot a whole story on its own, so my apologies for that. The ideas just kept coming. However, by the time the probably two-part Fall chapter is over, it should have mostly passed by. Reviews and feedback are welcomed and in fact encouraged. Enjoy.)
Summer
It was as if the world had fallen apart while they were sleeping. Reports of men and women dragged from their homes by the military and disappearing. Not only in the Gotoro Empire, but in the Ferngill Republic as well. The news blasted with alarmed broadcasts and fears. A list had been leaked with names of suspected spies, and mobs were attacking homes and families in the streets if one of them was on that list, dragging them out and beating them sometimes to death. In front of their children or spouses or parents. Maru was terrified out of her head. Harvey's name had been on that list… The first time the report had aired, the wrench she'd been holding as she'd been working on an invention had dropped to the ground. She'd barely registered it. Now this was the second or third time this same report had played. Nervously she chewed her nails as she listened to his name being recited yet again. She didn't even know what to do or think anymore, or how to take this. Tears burned her eyes. She could hear a screaming match between Sebastian and Abigail, their opinions on this situation in complete opposition. Sebastian, who had worked to keep Maru from Harvey when Kent's accusation had first come out, now defended him while Abigail, who had been on Harvey's side before, was now against him. Maru clasped her throat and swallowed over a lump in it. She turned off the TV the moment the report was done, sinking down onto her couch and staring at the ground, totally lost. She curled up in a ball, burying her head in her knees…
Stardew
Harvey stared at the television expressionlessly, listening to his own name being listed off. And the town he lived in. The phone had been ringing angrily all morning. He hadn't picked up a single call. They were probably from patients here and in Zuzu City both, demanding answers or wanting to curse him out. He felt like he should feel like running… Instead he just felt numb… Where could he run to anyway…? He sat, staring at the TV silently. If it was this bad here, where the front wasn't even located, then what was it like in Gotoro…? He let out a shaking breath, bowing his head low. He heard a knock on the door. He tensed and didn't move to answer it. "Harvey?" a voice called out, breaking. Maru. He stared ahead at the ground, not moving to answer. "Baby please, open up," she pled. He didn't move. "I'm not leaving, Harvey," she said. No answer. He heard her slide down against the door. He tried to pretend she wasn't there… Until her heard a sniff that sounded like she might be crying.
He winced and let out another shaking breath, standing a bit unsteadily and walking to the door. He was probably in shock, he realized. It would explain the numbness, his unsteadiness, his silence… A mild shock… He reached the door and unlocked it like he was on autopilot, but didn't open up. She rose quickly and opened it herself, coming quickly inside and falling into his arms, clinging tightly to him. He held her numbly back, staring at the open doorway like he half expected the military to come barging up and drag him off.
"It isn't true. They've got it wrong. It isn't true," Maru was saying through tears, voice muffled against his coat. "It isn't true…"
He swallowed and wrapped his arms tighter around her, holding her close and resting his head on hers. "You need to go, love," he whispered softly.
"I'm not leaving you," she said.
"You need to go," he repeated. She didn't grace him with an answer. "Maru, it's true," he said, voice a painful whisper. He heard her catch her breath, felt her stiffen in his arms. His eyes closed tightly, and he swallowed.
She pulled back quickly, looking up at him. "What?" she asked in a breath, eyes devastated.
"It's true," he said in all seriousness, reaching up and gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Her lips slowly parted as if she couldn't believe she was hearing this. "No. No, it-it isn't," she said, fingers tightening on his jacket as she shook her head in denial. "You're just saying that so I'll leave! It isn't true!" She struck his chest with her fists.
He barely flinched, just closing his eyes and glancing away. "Yes, it is," he said. "And you need to go. Right now." Yoba only knew what Kent was going to do now, but somehow he suspected Kent was probably the least of his worries. It wouldn't be long before something came after him. If it wasn't a mob, it was going to be the police or the military. He didn't want her to be here when that happened… Not that she would particularly care after this…
She could only stare at him, lips parted in shock. He was vaguely surprised she didn't say something along the lines of 'you were just using me?'. But then what reason would she have to say that? He'd never picked her brain about anything much beyond medicine or some of her projects. When she'd said something was confidential or secret, he'd stayed away from the topic, so for her to think he'd been using her was farfetched, to say the least.
She gazed at him in shock. She didn't know whether he was lying to get her to leave, or telling the truth to… what? Get her to leave? There was nothing he could gain from telling her the truth! He could only lose! Why would he tell it, then? Why would he…? Why…? "Why…?" she heard herself whisper. No answer. "Why?!" she screamed, pushing at him and moving quickly back.
Harvey winced, feeling her leave his embrace, but he couldn't say he hadn't seen it coming. He looked back at her. There were a million answers he wanted to give her, a million excuses, a million reasons… Part of him wanted to tell her she could never understand, but he knew that maybe she could have. If he had the time left him to explain it to her… If she had any sort of desire to hear him out all the way through… A million answers to give. But he gave none of them. Instead he hardened his expression, stepped back from her, and made a Gotoran gesture of loyalty, meeting her eyes calmly. She stood rooted to the spot like she didn't know what to do, tears slipping from her pretty eyes. She sobbed, then, turning and fleeing. Heartbroken.
He watched her go then let out a quivering sigh, bowing his head low and closing his eyes tightly, swallowing. "Be safe…" he pled quietly in a breaking voice.
Stardew
Kent listened to the broadcast silently and solemnly. Jodi silently cried in the background, face buried in her hands like she couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't blame her. He'd shed his fair share of tears since the world was turned upside down overnight. She'd been the strongest of them all, so far… Sam had raged… Now, though, he only stood in the background glaring darkly and bitterly at his father's back. He could practically feel the anger and disgust and hate radiating from his son. Towards him, not Harvey. He should have expected as much.
"You did this," Sam darkly said.
"I was obligated to," Kent answered. "It's my job, Sam."
"Once upon a time your job was to be a father and a husband, not to destroy lives like this," Sam said. He turned, storming angrily out of the house in disgust. He felt like it should be Harvey he was disgusted at, but it wasn't. Maybe eventually it would be, if it was proven true the doc was a spy, but he wasn't so sure anymore. He wasn't sure of anything anymore. He almost wished he was still a child, so the elf king would drag him away from all this too… Elliott had said, once, that the elf king was right to take the children away, during a particularly stressful moment. Sam had tried to beat him to a pulp, but Sebastian had held him back, giving Elliott time to get away. Turned out Elliott had been right… The elf king had been so, so right to steal Vince and Jas away from all this misery. Even Shane thought so now…
Stardew
Harvey stood on the dock, looking out over the sea. He almost considered going up to a cliff and jumping off it into the ocean, but he refrained. Instead he stood here watching the waves. He heard footsteps approach but didn't turn. He knew the gait and footfall well enough, long, soft, and elegant. Elliott. The man came up beside him without a word, looking out over the water. "Is it true?" he finally asked. "Is our dear doctor really a mysterious spy?"
"It doesn't matter if it's true or false, does it? If it's true, they get to pat themselves on the back. If it's false, they'll make it true and pat themselves on the back anyway," Harvey replied.
"Yes, well, that wasn't my question now, was it?" Elliott said.
Harvey shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you, Elliott," he replied.
"The truth," Elliott replied.
"You're a writer with an imagination wondrous and vast… Can there really be a true and a false in this situation?" Harvey asked.
"You speak in riddles, my friend," Elliott said approvingly. "But I can understand why, of course… Tell me your story, doctor. All of it. You know how well I listen."
Harvey shook his head and looked over at the author before tuning to face him full on. Elliott was already in that position. Harvey summed him up, reading him quietly, then sighed. Putting a hand on Elliott's shoulder, he said, "You're a good man, Elliott. Among the best here. I would have perhaps told you everything one day… But right now, the less you or anyone else associates with me, the safer you'll be when they come. I want you to be safe… I want all of you to be safe..."
Elliott looked at the doctor's hand on his shoulder. After a moment he reached up, squeezing it reassuringly in a gesture of friendship, then looked at Harvey again, expression serious as he let go. "I've faced the elfin king with nought but a metal shard you happened to have on your person. I've brought the king of the fae to his knees, to the cusp of death… I never thought that strength or courage was in me, but it was… Perhaps it's in you too… I'm not afraid, anymore, of what fellow mortals will do to me. I've challenged something far more powerful than they and come out alive. Even knowing it could easily be rid of me, I faced it. I'll face them the same," he said.
Harvey shook his head. "The king of the Fair Folk wished you neither harm nor peace. You've said it many times. Neither good nor bad. Every blessing he gives has a curse, every curse he brings has a blessing. Humans are much more straightforward than that. The majority of us tend not to see both the good and bad in something. If they want it to be bad, it's bad. If they want it to be good, it's good… If you stand by me, you'll be their enemy. A Gotoran sympathizer at best, a fellow spy at worst… And if it's true, if I'm really an enemy spy, then ask yourself if you're really willing to give up everything you have to stand by me in that case."
"How many lives have you saved, doctor? How much good have you done for this sleepy little town and the people within? When last did you do anything to harm it or harm us? Do you care for the people here at all? Do you care for her? Most importantly, is your love for this place and its residents genuine, or all a lie?" Elliott asked. Harvey didn't answer. Not that he needed to. Elliott was very, very good at reading people. After a moment, the author smirked. "Then I should hardly think you're an evil spy at all. Perhaps, like the fae, there is neither bad nor good in what you've done as well… But then I can't presume to know. If you come around to the idea of talking, Harvey, you know where to find me." With that, Elliott turned and left him alone.
Stardew
Kent was dreaming. It was a strange dream. It felt almost ethereal… There was no clear visual of where he was. All that was there was an elfin king, gloious and powerful, seated upon a massive and intricate carven throne. A staff of oak was in his hand, his crown splendid, and his eyes were upon the mortal in his presence neither condemning or condoning. "Am I wicked?" Kent asked it, staring.
"That is not mine to judge," it answered.
"Judge anyway," Kent replied.
The elf king summed him up in silence, head tilting slightly to the side. "This is not a matter of wicked or good," he soon said.
"Then what is it?" Kent asked.
"A matter of right and wrong… And there is no answer for you, mortal… If you are right, and the doctor is a spy, you have found that which is guilty and brought it to judgement… But what is it they are judging…?" the king asked.
"A traitor," Kent replied.
"Traitors and heroes. Humph. Put such childish concepts out of your mind," it replied, tone sharp and sounding for all the world like a chastising parent. "He is no more a traitor than your spies in Gotoro."
"Those men are heroes," Kent said, looking down, but even he could taste the hypocrisy in his mouth. Heroes to Ferngill, traitors to Gotoro. Harvey may be a traitor to Ferngill, but he would be a hero to Gotoro.
"You lay accusations without knowing full details. You assume one thing when another may be true. A spy for Gotoro or a spy for you? A spy for either of you? Perhaps he works for no side after all, and then what is it they judge in the end? A 'hero' or a 'traitor'?" the elf remarked.
"Am I wicked?" Kent repeated.
"You are confused," the creature answered. "Lost. Afraid… You want to do what is right but are no longer certain what 'right' is. Was there ever a right and a wrong in this matter, or was it really as simple as one side or the other? You want to protect your family, your friends, your kingdom, but you know not what you are protecting them from anymore… There is no hero in this war… A hero would want and fight for no death or suffering at all…"
Stardew
Suddenly there was a knocking at the door, and Kent was pulled from his dream feeling tears in his eyes. He wiped them away in frustration and blinked down at his wife, who he had an arm wrapped around. He stared a moment then bent, kissing her softly and getting up to answer, throwing on a shirt with a resentful grumble. He went to the door and peered out. His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach when he saw. Soldiers. He felt himself shaking a bit and swallowed, closing his eyes and trying to get a grip. Finally, he opened the door. "Sir," he greeted the superior officer standing there.
"Sergeant," the officer replied, saluting. Kent bit back the urge to tell the man he had a name. "The doctor. Where does he live?" Kent was quiet. The officer sighed. "You were the one who brought him to our attention, soldier," he said. "You know this has to happen."
Kent ground his teeth together. "Yes sir," he finally managed to get out.
"Good man. Bring us to him," the man said.
Kent sighed and stepped back in to get on his boots. Soon he came back out and nodded for them to follow. He began to lead them to the clinic, but paused as the bridge to the beach came into sight. Walking across it was Harvey. Kent almost led his comrades to the clinic anyway, give Harvey time to see and… and hide… But he stared a moment too long, and they followed his gaze and knew who the man was. Immediately they marched towards him. Kent stayed in place, watching silently on. "Halt!" the officer shouted. Harvey froze, quickly looking up, and bristled. He didn't move to run or resist, though. Just darkly glared as they hurried towards him. "You're the town doctor. Harvey," the officer more stated than asked.
Harvey stared, glanced towards Kent who looked torn, then looked back to the men again. "Let's do this quietly," he finally said. "There's no need to wake the whole village." The quieter it was, the less likely anyone would put themselves in danger trying to come to his defence. Considering anyone bothered to at this point. He offered his arms, glaring darkly. The soldiers looked vaguely surprised at the compliance, but soon cuffed him. Tightly. Tight enough that said cuffs were biting into his skin. He winced slightly but didn't speak. He gave a last icy look to Kent… Threatening… Kent subtly shivered, suddenly feeling like he'd made a very, very big mistake. Harvey held his eyes until he was led out of sight, and Kent remained rooted to the spot, unsure of what to make of that unexpected and menacing change in the mild-tempered doctor. Perhaps he'd been right after all. Perhaps, in this at least, there was just good and evil… It was the first time in a while he'd felt like he just might have been on the good side…
Stardew
Kent sat on base, expression troubled and regretful. It had taken all of a day before they'd realized the doctor was missing. Hell had broken loose. Maru had almost shredded him. If not for her father holding her back, she probably would have torn his eyes out screaming at him and demanding answers. Sam had been utterly disgusted and had walked right out of the house to crash with Sebastian and Abigail. He wasn't sure, but he was fairly certain that had been Sam's way of moving out. Things had begun to disappear from his room piece by piece. Jodi hadn't spoken to him, or barely had, ever since. Suddenly he was the one being treated like he had the plague, and got a first-hand taste of how Harvey must have felt. He'd just… eventually he'd just had to get away…
He'd come to the base because it was the only place he had left to go. They'd kept the doctor in interrogation for days now. He hadn't said a word, they told him. They claimed he'd been given food and water and rest… Kent wanted so badly to believe them… It was hard to take them at their word, though, when his dreams were filled with images of an unclothed, sleep-deprived, dehydrated, starved Harvey locked in a tiny room… He just waited for news now, asking whoever happened to pass by what the status on the doctor was. 'He's holding out' 'He's keeping his silence' 'He'll break eventually, they always do'. And then the report that totally threw him for a loop… It wasn't even a report. It was an emergency alarm and an announcement blaring over speakers. 'Prisoner insert-Harvey's-number-here has escaped! Be on the lookout. He's considered armed and extremely dangerous.'
Kent had to process the statement for like a minute before it finally sank in. Harvey had escaped. Armed. Which meant… which meant he'd have had to disarm a highly trained soldier and taken his or her weapon. And if they hadn't been able to find him immediately, he'd probably taken their uniform too and hidden the downed man or woman well enough it had taken some time to discover what had happened. That was something an ordinary civilian could never do… This time there was no alternate explanation that could be offered… He tried to make himself believe that as a doctor Harvey would know where to strike to knock someone out cold, and that was true enough yes, but getting that close to the man or woman in the first place? No. There was nothing that could explain a civilian doctor being able to do that…
Kent let out a shaking sigh, balling his hands and resting his forehead against them, shaking his head. "Dammit…" he whispered. He'd hoped it wasn't true… He had sincerely and truly hoped it wasn't true… He'd wanted to believe… He looked up, misery in his eyes. He rose with an angered scoff, grabbing his things and leaving to go to his car and go home. He might keep this twist quiet from them though. They'd learn on their own what had happened. In time.
He went out to his car and started it up, driving out of the compound glumly. He stopped at a stop sign a distance away from it to check traffic. Suddenly he felt a cloth cover his mouth and caught his breath, immediately seizing the arms of whoever had grabbed him and trying to pry them away. Whoever had taken hold of him, though, kept their grip tight and sure, maneuvering their arms well enough to make it too difficult to get a good enough grip to do anything. It was only seconds before Kent had slumped over unconscious…
Stardew
He blinked his eyes open wearily, vision blurry. Someone was standing there. He couldn't make out who it was just yet. Soon enough, though, he caught his breath, stiffening as he recognized the figure. Harvey! Kent was utterly still, staring at the man in shock. He tried to lunge, suddenly, only to feel restraints holding him down. Panic crossed his expression, flashbacks of his time as a POW, and he began to start having a panic attack. "Breathe, Kent. In, out. Count," Harvey said perfectly calmly, like they weren't in this f-ed up situation at all and were just having a normal old session at the clinic. The calmness only made him panic more. "You know I'm going to have to sedate you if you don't control this. You don't want that right now, trust me." Kent fought to try and control his breathing and panic, but he couldn't, he couldn't! Harvey sighed boredly and approached, sitting next to him. Kent squirmed to try and get away, but he couldn't move. He couldn't move, goddammit! He couldn't move! He couldn't breathe! He couldn't move! "Breathe," Harvey said again, pressing a grounding hand to his chest. "In… Out… In… Out…"
Part of Kent wanted to just spit at the man and defy him, but he followed the instruction anyway, focusing on the grounding hand and the calming voice. He began to struggle to obey, if only for his own good, and soon his breathing began to slow, his panic starting to subside. After a moment, Harvey removed his hand and stood up again. "You-you son of a bitch. You son-you son of a bitch," Kent panted out, giving a bitter and borderline hysteric, breathy laugh. "You son of a bitch," he said again, voice squeaking a bit.
"It didn't have to come to this," Harvey said, ignoring him. "You could have just minded your own business. Focused on your family rather than obsessing over my radio. You could have gone your way, I could have gone mine. I could have helped you get better… You could have had a normal life again… No one needed to be hurt."
"You filthy spy!" Kent spat.
"Oh grow up, Kent!" Harvey replied, rolling his eyes with arms folded. "This is war, not playtime."
"How many years in the army?" Kent bitterly asked, glaring.
Harvey smirked dryly. "Enough," he replied.
"Rotations?" Kent asked, trying to buy time to figure out what to do.
"Enough," he answered.
"Answer me, damn you!" Kent shouted.
"All you need to know is that I was well enough trained to be able to get out of your military base, into your car, and of the compound without a scratch," Harvey answered. "That thing drives quite nicely, by the way. A good feel to it."
"So what now, Doctor?" Kent asked in a growl.
Harvey shrugged. "You're not my problem," he replied. "Get comfortable. You'll be here for a long, long time. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go get some food and rest." Kent shouted a furious string of curses after the doctor as he walked out. Harvey shut the door and left Kent in pitch blackness chained down to what he presumed was either a table, or some kind of hard medical bed.
Stardew
Kent wasn't sure how much time passed before Harvey came back. He'd passed out shortly after the man left and had woken up feeling like he hadn't eaten in days. Now he was hooked up to IVs and various other tubing. Harvey entered, looking at charts. Kent eyed him darkly. "So, what am I? Your experiment now?" the veteran asked, voice scratchy and rough sounding.
"You slept a long time, Kent. I'm surprised," Harvey replied. "The others were disappointed they wouldn't get to have fun with you. They were so looking forward to an interrogation." If his mouth hadn't been dry, Kent would definitely have spit at the man. "Well, you're awake now."
"They're on their way then, I'd guess?" Kent bitterly asked.
"Mmm hmm," Harvey replied. "When was the last time you had a physical? Your blood pressure is a bit concerning."
"Screw you!" Kent shouted. "Go die in a hole, Harvey! Go die in a hole!"
"I was on the verge of doing just that in your 'enhanced interrogation' chamber at that damn military base," Harvey answered, shooting him a sharp look. "Throw in a close shave with hypothermia for extra measure. You know, I never knew how perverse the Ferngillian army really was until they got their hands on me. Couldn't wait to get me out of my clothes, took their time examining my body for concealed weapons, took longer than strictly necessary to wash me down, then threw me into a freezing room. Be glad you're allowed to keep your apparel and stay in a room with a comfortable temperature."
"Screw you!" Kent shot again.
Harvey sighed in exasperation and went back to his charts. "They'll be arriving shortly. I'm to make sure you're in good physical condition for them," he said.
"Guess they really want to drag it out," Kent replied with a sneer.
"Very likely," Harvey said. "How high is your pain tolerance?"
"High enough to give them a good bit of fun," Kent answered flatly.
"Unfortunate for you, then, that they plan to focus on psychological torture. I know from firsthand experience your tolerance for mind games is less than stellar right now," Harvey said. "I'll advocate for them to play the physical game with you for now."
"You're all heart, you sick psychopath," Kent bitterly replied, glaring angrily at the ground.
The doors opened, then. Harvey looked over and Kent's eyes snapped up. "Dr. H, we will be taking your patient now," the man who entered said.
"I would suggest you start with physical interrogation techniques. He's not in the ideal mental place for you to try psychological, at the moment," Harvey said. A blatant lie that they didn't even suspect. The man was good at lying, it seemed. Kent guessed it was a tool of the trade for a spy. The unknown man bowed to the doctor Gotoran style. Harvey bowed back and stepped out of his way, gesturing towards Kent.
"He will be needing your services soon enough," the man said, moving to take the veteran away. Harvey stayed quiet, watching on with arms folded.
Stardew
To say Kent needed Harvey's services after the interrogation didn't seem to express well enough just how badly he needed them. He lay shuddering on the bed as Harvey tended the wounds. "They usually go many hours more than this," the doctor said. "You got lucky when the power went out in that sector." Kent was quiet. They'd tried to play at the psychological game to make up for lost time, but they hadn't gotten far before Harvey informed them he needed to tend to his wounds.
"Yoba's smiling on me so brightly," Kent sarcastically replied.
"That attitude will be a faded memory by the time they finish with you," Harvey said. Kent was quiet, glaring murderously at the man as Harvey stitched up a wound. "There. Finished."
"Damn you," Kent said. It was one of the milder four-letter words the doctor had been subjected to as of late.
"What did they ask you?" Harvey asked.
"What the hell do you think they asked me? They pried for military secrets, they picked my brains about plans and weapons and tactics, and I gave them crap all," Kent said.
"Did they ask about locations? People?" Harvey asked.
"The hell do you care?" Kent replied.
"Answer the question, Kent," Harvey said.
"Hah! I'm not giving you anything, you damned traitor," Kent answered.
Harvey was quiet. After a moment he looked around the cell. Soon he rose, leaving without a word. After a while he came back inside, looking ponderous. "They were much more forthcoming than you about the questions they posed to you," he said.
"Should have gone to them from the start then, doc," Kent replied.
Harvey shook his head. "You should have stayed out of it, Kent. It would have made my job so much easier," he said. "Now on top of all the complications I was having already, I'm saddled with you." Kent gave him a wary look, raising an eyebrow. That was a… weird choice of term. Harvey sighed in annoyance, checking his watch, then approached Kent. He picked up a needle. Kent grimaced and began to squirm. "You'll have fifteen minutes, from the time you wake up from this, to get out. Don't look for me, don't ask about me, don't think about me. Think about getting home to your wife and son and nothing else. Run. And don't look back again. Ever. I'm warning you."
Kent started. "What?" he asked. What was Harvey talking about? "What do you…?" he began. He gasped as the needle was pushed into his neck, then slumped unconscious almost instantly.
Stardew
Kent woke up alone in the dark, a red light flashing above him. A siren didn't accompany it, which was strange. He tried to move and gasped, sitting bolt upright. He wasn't chained anymore! He looked ahead, and his eyes widened. The door was open! He remembered Harvey's words….
Fifteen minutes from the time you wake up.
He reacted, leaping from the table and running out the door. He slid to a stop with a gasp, seeing two unconscious Gotoran soldiers slumped outside the cell. He gaped in disbelief, carefully backing away, then turned and ran, eyes wide. What was happening? What was going on?! He almost tripped over another, jumping over him just in time. He stopped, this time, and knelt, taking his weapon and arming himself in case he met with resistance. The farther he got, though, the less likely it seemed that was going to happen. Unconscious men littered these halls. What had happened out here and where was Harvey?
He sped up, panting as he searched for the exit. Not that it was going to be hard. Every door in the compound that didn't lead to escape seemed to be locked. Part of him sensed, knew, what was going on, who had done this for him. His brain refused to accept or believe it. It didn't make any sense. It didn't make any sense! It couldn't be true. How could it be true?! He rounded a corner and gave a cry as he ran into a man who immediately engaged him, shouting for backup that was either slow coming or not coming at all. He tried to go for his gun to shoot the man, but suddenly the man gasped, body stiffening up, and collapsed with a groan. Kent gawked in shock and looked quickly up. He saw Harvey, now racing away. "You!" he shouted furiously. "Come back here you coward! Come back here! What's going on, Harvey? What the hell is going on?! Stop running from me, you traitor! Stop!" He didn't understand anything anymore!
Harvey raced around a corner. Kent followed and slid to a stop with a gasp. The doctor was typing some commands onto a computer. From behind a reinforced, plexiglass window to a room that was without doubt locked tight behind him. Kent heard a door opening and sharply looked over. He saw light filtering in through the opening door. It opened wide, revealing the path to freedom. Kent was still. Then Harvey spoke into a microphone, his voice coming over a speaker. "Go home, Kent," he said simply. "You have two choices here now. You go free, or you come after me. If you come after me, your chance to go home is gone. You don't have time to rip my head off and still make it out of this compound before the guards wake up and the place goes into lockdown."
"What is even happening anymore?!" Kent demanded. "Harvey, give me answers! Why are you doing this? What is this? What are you?! Please! Who are you?!"
"I'm the same man you've always known, Kent," Harvey answered, sounding more tired than anything. "Go. Or you're going to doom us both."
"Talk to me, damn you!" Kent shouted.
Harvey only smiled ruefully, shaking his head. "Some questions are better left unanswered," he replied plainly.
"Why?" Kent pressed.
Harvey sighed, bowing his head and shaking it. "Leave," he said once more. "You have only seconds now."
Kent turned to look towards his escape, shifting uneasily. He could go home. He could see Jodi and Sam and Vince again… But would he really…? His relationship with his oldest was in tatters and only a miracle would save it now. His youngest didn't even know him anymore… And his wife… She lived with a stranger… He could go home, but at this point he had no home to return to… Right now? Right now, he needed answers. He needed to understand what he'd thrown away his family and his life for. He turned back to Harvey. "I'm not going anywhere," he said. Harvey looked startled, then extremely concerned. It wasn't a look Kent was expecting, but he didn't let that show. Time was up, now. He heard the shouting and yelling of Gotoran soldiers scrambling to find him.
Harvey was silent, staring at him. Concern faded in the wake of annoyance. The man was highly, highly unimpressed with his choice. "You should have stayed away… Why do you insist on making things this much more complicated for me?" Suddenly he pushed a button. The door opened. Harvey bolted out, running for the exit. If Kent wanted answers, he'd follow him to get them Harvey assumed, and with a startled and alarmed cry Kent did, charging after Harvey. Harvey ran out of the compound, racing towards a car and jumping into it, starting it up and tearing away. Kent spotted his own car parked outside and ran to it, hoping Harvey had left the keys inside. He had. Kent fully believed he'd done so on purpose, at this point. He'd planned this whole thing, this whole escape. He'd planned it all! Just how much, he wondered, had been fake and real? With luck, soon he'd find out. He started his car and tore after Harvey, pursuing him determinedly.
Stardew
Harvey drove in silence, one hand on the wheel and the other leaning on the door and resting in front of his mouth. He didn't know where to go from here. He hadn't factored this scenario into his plan and was officially clueless and planning on the fly. Hunted by the Ferngill army, needing to keep Kent out of the hands of the Gotoro one… If he gave the man the answers he looked for, maybe he could right all of this and get back to business as usual. The sooner that happened the better. The problem was too much was at stake right now to share that kind of information so easily. Then again, this was a unique scenario no one had planned on. They hadn't calculated for this. Before he said too much, he would have to discuss it with his contacts. First things first, Kent. The man was going to follow him to hell and back to get what he wanted out of him. He couldn't expect to shake him long. It would be wisest to pull over somewhere and let him catch up. Of course, there was no guarantee the man wouldn't just shoot him or break his neck when he got his hands on him. He shook his head in frustration. He hadn't signed up for this. Not any of it. Finally he sighed in aggravation and pulled over at a viewpoint, getting out of the car and marching to it, looking out over the Ferngill Republic expressionlessly.
It was only seconds before Kent arrived, pulling in. The man leapt out of the car and ran at him. Harvey spun quickly, bracing for impact. The man seized his throat, pushing him half over the railing with murder in his eyes. "Talk damn you!" he roared angrily. "Talk!" Harvey glared quietly. "What did you do, Harvey? What did you do?! What was truth and what was a lie, huh?! What's going on?!"
Harvey considered his response. "I was the one who kept you unconscious for days on end. I did it to spare you the pain that would have come on you when they got their hands on you. I drugged you and kept you drugged and unconscious until the bulk of their anger dissipated and things would be more bearable for you when they got you into that room. I pushed for your physical torture because you can handle physical. Psychological would have broken you and that was an unacceptable risk. I turned off the power to get the physical pain to stop sooner, and when they tried to switch to psychological I stopped them by spiriting you away to the medical room." He paused, considering what else he could confess to safely, but ultimately chose to stop there for now. Until he could judge Kent's reaction to all this better.
"Why did you drag me there at all?!" Kent demanded.
A glare. "Pettiness. You were annoying me," Harvey flatly replied. Kent started then looked highly unimpressed. Harvey sighed. "I needed to figure out what information they were looking for," he elaborated a bit more. "For… reasons."
"You needed to find out… What the hell side are you on, Harvey?!" Kent demanded. Harvey glared at him but kept quiet. "Talk, or I'll drag you back to our military base to make you," he threatened.
"The one that treated me less humanely than the Gotorans treated you?" Harvey bitterly bit. He was rewarded with a punch to the face which he had seen coming so really wasn't surprised over.
"You stupid coward," Kent snarled. He wrestled Harvey up, wrenching his arms behind his back and forcing him towards his car. Harvey struggled only briefly before giving it up. He wasn't going to bank on a physical matchup between him and Kent. The man was built like a cliff and had at least a head more height to him. He shoved Harvey into the vehicle and climbed in after him. Harvey glared spitefully out the window.
"I need to make a call," Harvey said.
"What makes you think you deserve that privilege?" Kent asked.
"Don't worry, Kent. You'll love this one," Harvey said, rolling his eyes. Kent huffed but didn't protest. Harvey pulled out his phone and dialled a number. He held it to his ear, waiting for the person on the other end to pick up. Immediately he began to speak in Gotoran to the person on the other end.
"Talk English!" Kent snapped.
Harvey frowned at him and winced as the person on the other end started shouting, demanding answers. "D, I'm fine. For now," he said. "You could say I've been captured… Yes it was the veteran… No I should not have gotten rid of him from the start…! If you didn't mean kill him, what did you even mean…? Oh my god, D, no… He's taking me where you'd expect him to take me… I need you to call a pickup service in Zuzu City and send them to the base, so he can be brought home to his family. His car's going to be lucky to make it to his compound… He's too high profile to keep contained, even if I wanted to. Which I don't. I never wanted to throw this pain on Jodi and Sam. I never wanted it on anyone…! Call them hicks one more time, I dare you… Call them dregs one more time, I dare you… Oh for Yoba's sake, grow up! Just do what I say…! My judgement calls have kept you and her alive this long, so don't you dare take that tone with me! Do it because I told you so and I'm your, uh, never mind. We're not getting into this here… No, D, I'm not going to be okay… One reason why you shouldn't murder him? Because he has a wife and two children waiting for him? Because he's a good man who just wanted to do what was right? Because he's suffered enough? Because I don't want you to? Is that enough reasons for you…? Yes. I genuinely care about them. I always have. It took you this long to realize that fully…? It'll be okay. I'll be okay… Stop, D. I know you're afraid… Don't worry about me. No matter what happens, you need to keep going. For your sake and hers and for theirs… You won't have to say goodbye. This isn't goodbye… I-I love you too. Please. Take care of yourself. And of them. Tell her I love her too… I'm sorry I'm putting you through this. I never meant for it to happen… I'll see you again… Not through a viewing window… I love you."
With that he hung up quickly, grimacing. "Cheating on Maru?" Kent bit.
"There's more than one sort of love," Harvey replied, not letting the words shake him.
"So, I was right. Dr. H was a codename and the person you were contacting on that radio was an accomplice, not some random pilot," Kent dryly said.
"On occasion it was a random pilot," Harvey replied vaguely defiantly.
"Who's D and what do you mean my car is going to be lucky to make it to my base?" Kent demanded.
"Sabotage," Harvey answered. "Your fuel should be running out in not too long now."
"You drained the fuel?!" Kent demanded.
"No. I didn't puncture your gas either. I… added things to your tank that shouldn't be added to gas," Harvey said. Kent glared borderline hatefully at him, eyes narrowed. "Don't worry, Kent, he's calling a reliable Zuzu City car company."
"I can't even tell what's a lie from your mouth anymore or what's truth," Kent bitterly said. There was silence the rest of the trip.
Stardew
He didn't stick around to see what happened to the doctor. They invited him to, but he'd turned and left without even a word… He didn't know why he didn't want to stick around to see what happened to the man… Maybe because he didn't want to know… He just wanted to go home. He would have tried his car, but it had, as expected, barely managed to limp into the compound before dying. He sighed in frustration and kept an eye out for this car company Harvey had blabbered on about. He saw a vehicle parked outside. A man stood beside it. For a moment he thought he was going to start seeing Harvey everywhere like some kind of horrible hallucination, but no. This man lacked the mustache. He looked strikingly similar to the doctor, though, which just added insult to injury. He grimaced and went towards the person. He frowned. Okay seriously, this guy looked freakily similar to Harvey. Lighter hair, maybe, but the face shape, the mouth… Wow.
"Kent?" the man asked boredly, sounding unimpressed. Kent grunted an affirmative. "Get in the car and let's get you home," the man said, gesturing to it. Kent moved around to the passenger door and slid inside, buckling up. The man joined him and started the vehicle up before beginning to drive. "That little crap hole Pelican Town, right?" he said.
"Screw you," Kent replied. "Just lost your tip."
"Oh, I'm not looking for a tip," the man testily replied as he started to drive. "In fact, I'm not looking for payment at all. I want to talk. I heard you got your hands on Dr. H." Kent bristled at the words and looked sharply over, eyes wide in disbelief. Oh you had to be flipping… He went to attack the man only to find himself face-to-face with a gun. "Don't even. Like I said, I just want to talk."
"Harvey… That little bastard Harvey!" Kent shouted, punching the dash. "Mother fu…"
"Shut up!" the man snapped. "He genuinely expected me to call a car company from this rathole city. The last thing he wanted me to do was show up personally, but here I am."
"D, I presume," Kent bitterly said, eyeing the gun and looking for ways to take it from the man. The guy had his number though, it seemed. Said guy smirked coldly. "So, let's talk. Maybe you'll be more forthcoming with answers than your boss was."
"Yeah, I will be. Starting with this. He's not my boss. In fact, he's my older brother. Why do you think my boss would tell me he loved me? The man's head over heels for the little genius number in Pelican Town whose brains he absolutely refused to pick for our own gain despite my insistence, let it be known. While we're on the topic of family, the travelling merchant is our sister. My personal profession? By day, Dobson, employee of Joja Co and right hand to Morris. By night, something else entirely. Now you need to listen to me. Harvey is not the enemy, okay? He's not! He's not your enemy, he's not Gotoro's enemy… none of us are! Harvey isn't some Gotoran spy sent here to rip apart the Ferngill Republic, and he isn't a Ferngill spy playing the Gotoro Empire for fools," the man, Dobson, said.
Kent blinked at him blankly. "Then what the hell does that make him?!" he finally demanded.
"It makes him a neutral party playing his own games," Dobson replied. "It's what we all are. We never meant for this to become what it did, ever, but things happen. And I shouldn't even be telling you what I've told you so far, in fact if this was any other situation I'd shoot myself before I spilled about any of this, but this isn't any other situation. That's my brother you have locked in your goddamn military compound, and I don't want to even imaging what they're going to do to him, but I know it's going to be bad and I know you're not stupid enough to believe things will be A-okay. At least Harvey seemed to believe you weren't. So, I'm telling you this despite every part of me warning me not to, because I'm not going to sit by doing nothing while my brother rots in a cell and is tortured day in and day out until he dies or breaks, by the Ferngill Republic. You want to know what we've done in this war? What side we work for? Look in the glove compartment. There's a key hidden beneath your seat in a secret place. You should be able to find it soon enough, now that you know it's there."
Kent glared at him a moment before starting to search for the key. Soon he found it and inserted it into the glove compartment. He opened said compartment up and looked inside. There sat a dossier, bulging with papers and documents. After a moment he reached in, pulling it out and staring at it. "Start reading," the man, Dobson, ordered gruffly. Kent didn't move to do any such thing. Dobson shifted uncomfortably. After a moment he sighed, bowing his head a bit before watching the road again. "Fine. But take it with you, at least. Read it when you feel ready. You need to see what's inside. It has the answers you're looking for. If you need to reach me, call Joja co and ask for Dobson. Pelican Town came into sight. After passing through the tunnel, Dobson pulled over. "Get out of my sight," he ordered, parking. Kent was still staring at the dossier in silence. Finally, though, he took it and got out, walking away. Dobson tore off down the street rapidly. Kent stared at the files he held, tucked them away, then headed immediately back home. He'd been missing a long time. He needed to let his family know he was okay… And maybe, after he had taken some time to recover come to terms with all of this, he would look for his answers…
(A/N: To clarify why I make Dobson an Harvey brothers, and why Dobson looks so much like Harvey, the way I'm picturing the characters of Stardew Valley is the way they are portrayed in DCBurger's potraits mod, in my opinion one of the best ones out there, and this is from someone who doesn't even like portrait mods very much. It's a more realistic looking take on the characters, and if you look at the pictures on Google images or on the mod page, you can see how similar Dobson and Harvey look in it.)
