Chapter 2-Regrets

Shu laid face down on the floor.

'What the hell's wrong with me?' Shu thought to himself. 'It's pathetic how I feel relieved now that I'm out of danger; I'm that pathetic.'

The Doctor went back up rubbing his jaw.

"That guy can really throw a punch." He said.

Shu curled up and held his head.

"Shu are you alright?" The Doctor said. Shu didn't reply.

"Alright fine then." The Doctor went to the robot he had deactivated and messed around with his sonic. The robot suddenly sprang up revealing a hologram of a map.

"Bingo." The Doctor said.

Shu looked at the map and remembered Inori's words:

"We have to get her to Gai."

The Doctor found a vile inside. He scanned it with his screwdriver and checked the readings.

"Weird. This is organic and at the same time made of an unknown element." He whispered to himself.

The Doctor picked up the robot and headed downstairs.

"Alright, I'll be off then. You should head back to school Shu."

"Wait!" Shu shouted. The Doctor stopped in his tracks.

"I want to go." He said.

"Shu this is dangerous and you're still a student. I wouldn't want to put you in danger."

"You don't understand Doctor! I was too much of a coward to stop them."

The Doctor was surprised by the sudden outburst of the seemingly quiet boy.

"You couldn't do anything Shu. It's not your fault."

Shu clenched his fists.

"Doctor, this could be my last chance to stop hating myself."

The Doctor looked at Shu. He then smiled.

"You have determination. I'll give you that." He looked at the TARDIS. "Ah what the hell."

The Doctor tossed Shu a vile. Shu caught it and looked at it.

"What's this?" He asked.

"I don't know; but I bet we can find out if we take it to wherever the spot on the map is." The Doctor said.

"Wait. Why do I have to hold on to it? Wouldn't it be safer for it to be with you?"

The Doctor headed towards the TARDIS while feeling around his pocket for the key.

"You said it yourself Shu. This is your chance at redemption." The Doctor opened the doors to the TARDIS. "Try and keep up." He said as he entered the blue box.

Shu raised his eyebrow. He walked up to the box and examined it. Police Public Call Box? He had never heard of such a thing. He felt around the door handle before opening it and revealing the interior.

"It's called the TARDIS. It's a ship that can travel anywhere in time and space." The Doctor said while wearing a big grin. "And it's also-"

"It's bigger on the inside." Shu said.

"Yeah, that."

Shu spun around dazed by the surprisingly spacious interior. The Doctor snapped his fingers and closed the doors behind him. He then proceeded to attach a few wires to the robot.

"The TARDIS can pinpoint the location the robot's showing me and take us straight there." The Doctor pulled a few levers and pushed some buttons. "You ready Shu? We're gonna save Inori."

Shu nodded. The Doctor pulled the dematerialization lever and the TARDIS started shaking. Shu held on to the console and watched as the rotors moved up and down. The Doctor adjusted some controls until the TARDIS noise came to a stop.

"We're here." He said as he detached the robot and made his way to the door. "Make sure to keep that vile with you at all times."

Shu checked his pocket to make sure. Yup, still there.

They walked out into a dirty looking area with trash scattered all around and rust eating away at the fences.

"Here of all places?" Shu said.

The Doctor held the robot in his hands following the map.

"You're familiar with the area?"

"A little."

They walked for some time. Scary looking men eyed them as they walked past. Eventually, they arrived at some sort of podium. The Doctor looked at the map. They were at the blip.

"Is this the place?" Shu asked.

"Seems like-"

"Hey old man." A tall man in a jersey went up to the Doctor.

"Does that cook?" He said.

"I'm sorry what?" The Doctor replied.

"Does it make rice?"

The Doctor looked down at the robot in his hands.

"Ah, I don't think so but I might be able to reprogram it."

"Leave it here."

"Yeah. That's not happeni-"

The man punched the Doctor who fell to the ground once more.

"Three in one day! You have got to be kidding me!" The Doctor shouted as he held his jaw.

"You messing around with me? Just leave it here." Men started approaching the Doctor and Shu.

"I'm so sorry!" Shu said. The Doctor looked at him.

"We were put in care of it! She gave everything she had to protect it! So I'm so sorry!"

The man raised his fist at Shu and was about to throw it when headlights activated and illuminated the surrounding. Shu helped the Doctor back on his feet.

Footsteps were heard as a man in a dark cloak approached them.

"Hello there, dead people." He said.

"Huh? Dead?" The man in the jersey asked.

"That's right. The circumstances right now will not let you live." He jumped forward and stared the other man in the eye. "Therefore we can say you're already dead."

The Doctor heard whispers from the other men.

"Don't tell me that's actually him!"

"Gai?!"

The Doctor looked at the blonde haired man. So this is Gai?

"You've got some balls."

The other man pulled out a knife but Gai managed to disarm him. All the rest of the men attacked but they were no match against their target. They all fled from the area in fear. The Doctor watched them run before finding a girl with cat ears standing in front of him.

"That's Fyu-Neru right?! Give it back!"

She grabbed the robot from the Doctor's hands.

"I don't know who you are." Gai said to the Doctor. "But you kid. You're Shu Ouma?"

Shu gasped.

"What happened to the girl?"

Shu looked down.

"She was captured. By some soldiers."

Gai turned to the Doctor. "You abandoned her?"

Shu's fist tightened. Before any of them could reply, an explosion occurred nearby. One of Gai's men came running in.

"Gai! The GHQ are invading town!"

The Doctor's eyes opened. The GHQ must be the government special forces around here. Would they really attack innocent civilians?

"Goddammit. They're shooting everyone in sight." One of the men said as they ran past Shu and the Doctor.

"Tsugumi, what's going on with Ayase and the others?" Gai said to the girl who took the robot.

"They're… there's an enemy unit to our left!" She shouted.

"Shu! Watch out!" The Doctor shouted as a giant robot dashed towards them. Before it could reach them, another robot crushed it using the roof above it. The Doctor and Shu shielded their eyes from the explosion knocking them on their butts.

"Move! You're in the way!" The robot's speakers emitted the voice of a young girl.

"Both of you go now! Don't let go of it no matter what!" Gai said from the other side of the debris. "And Shu! This time show me you can protect it!"

"Shu, come on! We need to get back to the TARDIS!" The Doctor shouted. He stood up and ran.

Shu followed.

"Just around the corner!" The Doctor said.

Shu had stopped. He saw a figure surrounded by two robots. It was Inori!

"Doctor!" Shu shouted. "It's Inori!"

The Doctor turned around to see Inori face to face with the robots. He put Shu behind the wall.

"Look. Whatever happens, stay here. Got it?" He said as he ran to Inori. Shu watched the Doctor pull out his sonic screwdriver. His teeth clenched as he ran towards Inori as well.

"Inori!" He shouted as he managed to overtake the Doctor.

"Shu no!" It was too late. Shu embraced Inori as the robot fired a shot.

Shu opened his eyes. Everything was bright. He looked at his hand and there was a mark at the back. Inori stood in front of him.

"Shu, please use me." She said. Her chest was glowing. Shu had another flashback. He could see it a little clearer now. A girl standing in snow among pine trees. Everything faded to white.

As soon as Shu opened his eyes again, he pulled a sword out of Inori's chest. There was an energy blast that knocked the Doctor down. He tried to make out what was happening. A blue light surged through the sky. Shu saw Inori's body next to him and realized what had happened.

"What is this?" He said to himself.

A few missiles launched from the robot and blasted towards Shu. He managed to deflect it making the missiles miss and explode behind him. The Doctor managed to jump out of the way in time.

"Doctor!" Shu shouted.

"I'm ok!" The Doctor replied. "Watch out!"

Shu faced forward and saw the other robot speed towards him. He shouted holding his sword and jumped to the robot. He sliced it in half causing it to create a giant ball of fire.

"Shu?" The Doctor looked around the debris for him. He saw a silhouette emerge from the flames. It was Shu, unharmed. Holding a crystallized sword in his hands. The Doctor was sure of it. Whatever this was, it was something he had never encountered before.