Chapter 4 is out! Time to answer review(s):

To Derago: Thanks for the reminder. Roach could have wandered into someone problematic (like Rumia or so, but she couldn't really give much troubles to him).

With that out of the way, here's the main part of the excitement!

"You found your friends, I take it?" Soap turns off his radio and turns to the puppeteer, who's sitting at a table outside of the house reading her grimoire, with her dolls bringing her tea. It has been a day since he arrived at Gensokyo, and the girl was 'nice' enough to let him stay. The reason for the adjective to be in quotation...

The soldier sits down on a chair and one of the dolls brings him a cup of tea. "Luckily, it's the case. And once again, thanks for helping me, even when I gave you troubles..."

Flashback

"I hope nothing else would happen." Alice mutters to herself while looking at the materials before her. Due to her 'friend' crashing by and screwing up her work, she had to do another trip back to the village and buy new sets of cloth for her work. She sighed as she remembered what exactly happened. "Same old Marisa. Can't have a peaceful day with her." Shanghai pats her head in sympathy. Deciding to put that aside, Alice picks up her needles. "Alright, with all set, let's..."

The plan is stopped again before it even begins, when something crashes into her living room, and the table must have been broken as well, given the sound it makes. From calm to anger, the puppeteer rushes out of her bedroom and heads to where the sound comes from. "For the last time, Marisa, why do you..." Only to stop herself to see that the person crashing in is not the neighbor. Instead, it's a man in a strange black outfit, with short hair running at the middle of his head. She could have looked into more details if she doesn't smell the faint blood coming from him. She can see the man being in pain, but she doesn't know how dangerous the man is. So she takes a few careful steps towards the man, and then turns him so his face faces the ceiling. Only then she finds where the blood is: from the stabbing wound in his stomach.

There's nothing more to observe, as she orders her dolls to immediately bring medical supplies to help him. Dangerous or not, he's dying, and there's no reasons she wouldn't save him. She finds the zipper of the jacket and immediately pulls it, then pulls out the jacket with difficulty due to how heavy it and the man are. With the help of some of her dolls, she manages to get it away, then she opens up the tainted shirt underneath. With that, she can see the wound, though she could see that it has been treated before but reopened now. She has to stop the flow of the blood, so she puts her hands on his wound to keep the pressure on. A few seconds later supplies arrive, and she starts working on closing the wound. Luckily, Marisa gave her some of her successful works, and one of them allows a wound to be closed nearly instantly. She uses that on the wound, and lets the medicine do its work. Once the wound is closed, she looks at the man's face, to see his expression being softened.

Feeling the pain slowly goes away, Soap opens his eyes and grunts: "Urgh, I thought that was the end of me. Price, get me the weapons. We need to..."

There is one unfortunate: Due to the pain in the stabbing wound, he has ignored the pain in his head that made him able to speak Japanese. And because of that, Alice understands the words, and she immediately orders many of her dolls to point their spears right at Soap's face, causing him to nearly flinch in surprise. "Glad you feel better." Soap only dares to move his eyes to see a girl with blond hair and... gold eyes? "But I fear that your words give me a little concern about my own safety. So, if you don't want to get stabbed again, you better listen to me."

Given how old she looks, he could have laughed it off and just swatted the dolls away, if those spears aren't real. The reflections of him on the weapons pretty tell him that they're deadly. Gulping once, he replies: "Okay, little girl. I don't know why you are here, but we're in the middle of a fight here. Might as well..."

Alice interrupts: "There's no fights around here. Not before you arrived, and not now."

Soap blinks. No fights? There is a war out there, and she said there's no fights. "Okay girl, you're making no sense. There's a terrorist we're planning to kill, and..."

"That person is not in Gensokyo." Another interruption. Then one of her dolls floats to her, much to Soap's surprise, and gives her a brown envelope and a piece of paper. She starts reading the paper first, then she opens the envelope to reveal a stack of money in it. Soap decides to just lie there, waiting for the girl's next moves...

Then, with a nod of her head, the dolls start floating away, with the girl now kneels down to him. "Sorry about that mister Soap. I can't be sure if you're good guy or no."

"Um..." That's all he can say for now. Then, he slowly sits up, which doesn't make the girl startle, and looks down at his wound. "Wait... how?"

"I healed you." Soap turns to her. "Let's head outside. The living room's trashed, thanks to your fall."

And with that he looks around the room he and the girl are in and sees what the damage is. "I... fell in here?"

"Not your fault." It's only Alice's reply, before she opens the door and heads out. Quickly regaining his focus, he walks out of the house...

And he sees the girl already sitting at a table recently prepared by the dolls. Alice invites him to an empty seat. "Please sit down. We have much to talk."

He wants to do so, but he's not in the right mood to do it. "Sorry, but I have to keep our talk short. I need to find..."

"A person that's killed already." Alice interrupts. "Your task is completed by your comrades. Sit down and read this paper."

Reluctantly following the girl's order, he receives the paper and starts reading... ignoring the upper half, since it's in some language he doesn't understand.

"To Soap,

Sorry to inform you this, but... you are dead. On that table. Price and Yuri tried to save you but failed.

You're not in Hell, if you're wondering. I have pulled you and some of your comrades out of Death's hands and put you in this new world. About this world, ask Alice.

I have placed two weapons next to you: RSASS with Hybrid Sight, and the M1911 Price gave you after you died. But, I have retracted all of your ammo, and replaced your lethal grenades into Flashbang and 9-Bang. I have to ask you to find someone who could make Danmaku bullets to give you some to protect yourself and your friends.

And yes, I did revive your friends as well. BUT, they won't appear at the same time as you do. It will take time to find them, but it will be worth.

Also the war is over. Price has ended it. He's the hero. Unfortunately Yuri is dead... but that's not something to worry about much.

For now, please enjoy the new life I gave you.

Sign: A certain someone."

"What?" That's all he could say. He died? Then how did he...

"It would be strange for people to suddenly be revived." Alice comments. "It would be reincarnation, but even that's rare as well." Then a couple of dolls float out and brings Soap his weapons. "That's yours?"

"Yes, before I died." He starts checking on the guns, and true to the message, all bullets are gone. "Why would that person give me unloaded weapons?"

"Perhaps that person doesn't want you to go kill people. At least, senselessly." Alice takes the cup of tea Shanghai just pours for her. "Gensokyo has been peaceful for a while... not counting the incidents that the residents here made through time."

"Incidents? Is that why we're here?"

"I don't think so. Perhaps you will be involved, but not very soon." She takes a small sip before continuing: "I suppose you don't know what Gensokyo is, right?"

He shakes his head upon hearing an unfamiliar name. "Never heard of that before."

"Because it's well-hidden from the Outside World's eyes. This world is for Youkai to survive, since you have forgotten about them."

"Youkai?" Another unfamiliar word. Then he remembers: "Wait, if you're hidden, how come do you speak English?"

The girl blinks. "You're speaking in Japanese."

"I am?" How come didn't he notice that he's speaking Japanese? And when was he able to do so?

Seeing the man's surprised face, Alice guesses: "Maybe that person did something on you, or the creator of this place did so. I doubt the later one to happen."

"So we're in Japan?" Why would a person send him that far away?

"Yes... Japan of the past... Soap, that's your nickname, right?"

... Of all things. "John Mactavish, or Soap if you want to call me."

"It's because the person only wrote Soap as your name, but he did explain that he couldn't write your full name in Japanese."

"Yeah, I doubt he can... Well, since I have trashed your house, how can I pay back?"

"It's only the living room... but you can fix the room with my dolls."

"The cost would be..."

"That person has said his apology and given the necessary money, so I don't bother. And I have some extra materials to fix the place, considering many have done worse to my house."

... "First, it could be worse? Second, no offense, but why do you think your dolls can help?"

"This house was built by me and my dolls." The Captain of TF141 looks at the house up and down, utterly disbelieved that to happen. "It's magic."

That explains everything, and nothing at the same time. "Magic?"

"Yes, magic. Don't tell me you haven't heard of that before?"

"Through fictions, yes."

"Magic has been lost outside. That's why this place exists."

"Ah..." He understands just a little bit. "So, all types of magic are here?"

"Mostly related to East. West... maybe Remilia is the closest thing. And the Moon Rabbits."

That nearly makes Soap choke in his own breath. "Wait, Moon Rabbits? There are actually real ones?"

"I have seen only one, but there is a community of Moon Rabbits and Lunarians on the moon."

"We found nothing when we reached the Moon... wait, could it be... no, it can't be right."

That mumbling in the air catches Alice's interest. "What could what be?"

"It could be the government hiding from us, but I doubt ALL nations would hide something like that."

"Lunarians want to keep their secrets for themselves..." She then stands up and starts heading in. "Maybe you should start now. I have some clothes to make for sell, and Marisa and your interruptions have pushed my plan back."

Soap scratches his head apologetically. "Sorry about that."

Moment before the explosion

"Done." It takes longer than he thought it could be, but it's all set. Alice's living room has reverted to its normal state like nothing happened. The owner has showed him a guest room to rest, and he really appreciated that.

"At least you have fixed your mistakes, unlike a certain someone." Still same old Alice.

Soap wipes the sweat on his head away. "Your dolls sure helped much. But won't that consume your energy?" During the time he worked, Alice has explained bits after bits about how Gensokyo works.

"Don't worry. This is nothing." Then an explosion sound occurs, making the two turn to see a pillar of smoke coming up. "Same old day."

"Crazy things happen... sound like the outside world but more extreme." Soap speaks to himself... and then the radio catches up some signals...

Present

"It's nothing. That person has a good reason to do so." Taking another sip, she walks back in the house. "I guess I will have to prepare some more food. You want to come in?"

"Maybe I will wait here." The puppeteer nods and leaves the soldier alone. The Captain then looks at the direction where the explosion has occurred. "Ghost, Roach... Thanks to him you are here..."

Returning to Ghost's group

"Your Captain is there?" Youmu asks during the trip to Alice's house.

Ghost answers: "Yes, he is. And he's one of the very few we can trust. Unlike that bastard who killed us."

Roach: "At least he's dead now. One less problem for the world."

Marisa: "If you hate him that much, why do you even follow him in the first place?"

Ghost explains: "We don't exactly hate him for his desire: to save the world and avenge his fallen soldiers. But his method of doing so is what we despite the most."

Youmu nods. "Backstabbing a person you work with is not a good way to gain allies. At least Marisa here doesn't make it personal."

"Hey! Since when did I back-stab someone?" The Ordinary Magician immediately retorts.

"How about when you tried to push the fairies to us while you deal with the incident by yourself?" That causes her to shut up, since she couldn't give out a proper counter.

Ghost: "You said it like incidents are normal here?"

Youmu: "They are. But, not all of them were dangerous, so we just solved them and things just returned to normal... at least to Gensokyo's standards."

Roach pats one of his pockets to feel the empty magazine. "I feel a bit naked without the ammo..."

Ghost: "I think that person has good intentions. So there's nothing to worry... yet."

After a while, they reach to Alice's house, and they see Soap walking towards them. Immediately Ghost and Roach rush to their captain with their grateful smiles on their faces. Soap is smiling as well, he has been missing his best buddies since that day. "Roach, Ghost! It's too long after we last met!"

Ghost: "We never thought that we could meet each other again!"

Roach follows: "But we're here now! And Shepherd is no longer the world's problems!"

Soap nods. "I know. I personally killed him." He then notices Youmu and Marisa, and he asks the duo: "Mind introduce me to them?"

Ghost nods and gestures the girls to come near. "Girls, this is Captain John Mactavish, or Soap as his alias. Soap, the girl with the sword is Youmu, a half ghost. And the other is Marisa, a magician."

Both sides bow to greet each other, then Soap comments: "You're Marisa, huh? Alice is still a little bit angry at you for your crash yesterday."

Marisa scratches her head. "Oh come on, that's just an accident... and why did she tell you that?"

Soap: "That person who revived us dropped me right into her living room, breaking the table in process."

Marisa: "Wow, that's not a good impression."

Soap: "At least she's not that angry... Ghost, Roach, should we head out to find our friends?"

Ghost tells his plan: "Actually, I'm thinking of borrowing some of the girl's outfits. She does make some male clothes to sell, so we figure we could rent some and then pay later."

"There's no need." Some of the dolls float to them with some packs of clothes in their hands, as the owner speaks: "The paper has told me about that problem. The money he gave me was quite a fortune."

Marisa just pouts. "Lucky you." Alice doesn't comment on that.

Soap takes one set from a doll. "Thanks for your hospitality. May I ask to use the guest room to change?"

Alice moves her head slightly and points to where the guest room is. "Just go in. I don't mind."

During the change

Soap laughs when Ghost told him about Yuyuko's 'friendly fire'. "Really? Popping a Smoke Grenade and a Flashbang right in front of her face? If that doesn't give her permanent tinnitus, then she's lucky."

Roach: "She's a ghost, so I don't think it's the case. Still, it's funny to hear that."

Ghost changes the subject a bit: "How did you kill Shepherd?"

Soap: "A knife to the eye. But I was stabbed just before that, and barely got out alive with Price and Nikolai's help... I hope they're still okay..."

Roach assures him: "If Makarov is dead, then he must have been succeeded."

Soap: "I hope so... So, did you receive any wounds when you got here?"

Ghost: "I was burnt up. But the fire didn't last long."

Roach: "Definitely gun-wound and fire. But a Jizu saved me."

Soap: "What's a Jizu?"

Roach: "A statue of sort... I think it's about Eastern culture. We can think of that later."

Ghost: "Agreed. We now have a new life and a new place to explode without much troubles. But, we're planning to head to the human village, then to a guy who sells our world's stuffs."

Soap puts on his shirt while asking: "I thought this place is isolated?"

Roach: "That's right, but sometimes things from our world could be leaked here. Not the large ones though, it's like the things we have used and then abandoned."

Soap: "About our weapons having no ammo... do you have any ideas?"

Ghost: "That's what we're going to find out." When they're done, he continues: "Let's not keep the girls waiting. Let's head out."

Chapter 4 end!

Okay, I was planning to leak out the next character, but seeing how many words this chapter has, I decided to not spoil for one chapter. So please patiently wait for the next one to come out. See you all next time!