Dubbo, Australia
Niko is awoken by the sound of gunfire outside of the informant's bunkhouse. Nobody is inside the building but Niko of course, so he stumbles over to his cache of weapons and other items to arm himself. The front door to the bunkhouse swings open, as if someone kicked it, but it wasn't loud enough to be a forced entry.
Boots are clicking against the floor. Niko starts to get nervous, hiding somewhere in the bunkhouse.
Unknown
"Niko Valentine?"
The unknown invader patiently moves around the bunkhouse, checking every crack and under all the beds. Eventually, Niko can no longer hear the man's boots tapping around. To elaborate more, Niko's hiding in a closet behind the bunk room. It takes strength and courage for Niko to peak out the closet door, but he's extremely nervous. He has no idea who's out there, and if they're here to hurt him.
Once Niko's surroundings grow silent, he slowly and cautiously opens the closet door...but that was a mistake. The invader grabs Niko's shirt, forcing him out of the closet and onto the floor. Niko can barely see the outline of a pistol being pointed at his head, so he puts his hands up to surrender.
Unknown
"You know who I am?"
Niko Valentine
"You best get this over with, buddy. Guys will be here any minute to shoot your ass."
Niko is verbally nervous.
Unknown
"Yeeeaaah. They aren't comin'. In fact, nobody knows you're here. I made sure of that."
Niko Valentine
"I'm sorry...what!?"
Unknown
"The informant's dead, your guard is dead, and the reinforcements are also dead."
The invader removes his mask, which mostly hid his identity from Niko. But after making out the jaw line and the eye color, it clicks.
Niko Valentine
"I know who you are."
Haythem Steelhemor
"I'm surprised. It took a long time to find you, Lieutenant Stiles was a hard man to hit."
Niko Valentine
"Lieutenant Stiles? You know him?"
Haythem Steelhemor
"We interrogated him, he talked, that's that. Now he's going to convince your brother to confess to the senate. Allll of his information, his investigation, me and my brother, Flynn, It'll all be for nothing. Your brother is looking at the death sentence. I have you to thank for making this so easy. Just like my great-great-great Grandfather did, controlled the odds and ends of a war."
Niko Valentine
"Evidence reveals you were involved in the first one."
Haythem Steelhemor
"Congratulations for paying attention, Valentine. My great-great-great grandfather was an industrialist. He killed men and tortured women to get what he wanted. Westcover, Texas was the first, and many more were the second. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to succeed because of a rebellion. But he started and funded the First World War."
Niko Valentine
"That's impossible. That can't be true if it's been ages."
Haythem Steelhemor
"Mexico...many many years ago. My great-great-great grandfather talked to councils, other industrialists, and military supporters. Pitching them the idea of starting a global war to profit from. Mexico made billions of dollars from World War One, a war you and your brother sacrificed in."
YOU ARE READING
The Flatline: WWII | ArchiveStudios' Crimeverse
ActionMany years after the events of "The Divide", two brothers serve in one of the world's most brutal wars up until current events, WWI. Within this alternate universe, its Mexico and Germany against the world. Nations split apart, others joined a fold...
