DISCLAIMER
This story is a fan-based fiction
All things related to Arknights doesn't belong to me,
The only thing I own, is my OC
With that out of the way, please enjoy
"Sanktha mercenary, Gabriel, can't say it's a pleasure to meet you. Don't waste this second chance will you? Make no mistake. Break this abysmal trust of ours, and Rhodes Island will burn to the ground along with you, Doctor." - Onboard
Chapter 2 - Old Reunion
For what felt like minutes, she stared at the column of Rhodes Island operators. Watching them intently as they fought Reunion soldiers to form a way out of their encirclement.
She doesn't know what to feel, what to do... her finger gently brushed over the trigger of her crossbow, loaded full with bolts when she had reloaded it earlier.
[Don't you worry my dear~ It is my turn.]
Gabriel surrendered to the whispers, closing her eyes before her consciousness washed away.
A small grin formed in her lips not the one of amusement or happiness, but the one that seeks blood and entertainment.
She opened her eyes, revealing the cold ice blue irises instead of fiery red. Along with it, her halo also followed example, glowing in a cold blue instead of ominous red.
Yet the darkness never left the halo and her wings, representing her already broken will and soul. From the supposedly mistake she have done in the past.
For a moment, the Sanktha known as Gabriel was no more. In her place was another person, another being.
She is known as Cruz. The cross Gabriel carries ever since her 'judgement' or so she called it.
"My turn!" she repeated with a malicious giggle, lifting her crossbow towards the park.
-o-
Mobile City of Chernobog
Ursus
Time - Unknown / Weather - Unknown / Visibility - Poor
-o-
"Break their line! Quick!"
The white haired boy smirked triumphantly seeing his troops fight against those people. Watching their attempts to defeat his soldiers, his fingers tapping the staff he held in one hand.
They don't have the slightest idea what he can do. Although, a part of his mind still bugs him about the sniper.
He never seen her before, a Sanktha with a glowing red halo should be easy to remem-
BANG!
A single loud gunfire took his attention away from the fight, yet he only saw a brief part of it. On the sky, originating from the Sanktha sniper's rooftop, was a blazing red trail from a projectile.
His mind went back to his friend Faust, it was similar at how he utilizes his Arts to give power to his arrows.
But the one he saw was in a shade of blazing red, even at a distance he can feel the rage burning within it's Arts.
Yet it was different from the one leading Reunion.
BOOM!
A large fireball erupted at the back-lines of Rhodes Island operators, lives disappears in a blink of an eye, engulfed by the fire.
Flesh and blood, scorched along with the walls of buildings, trees, and bushes.
The fighting stopped just for a moment, glancing at the source of the explosion and the one who shot it.
Yet, only one pair of eyes recognized the cold glare of her eyes, along with the smile she bears promises pain and demands blood.
Ace grimly muttered to himself, realizing the condition they have gotten themselves into.
"We can't win against her here... BREAK THROUGH THOSE REUNIONS NOW!" He shouted loudly, his voice booming with the order.
The Kuranta woman in armor, known as Nearl, charged ahead with her squad. They released a battle cry whilst raising their weapons to counter-assault the Reunion lines as alerted.
An instructor of Rhodes Island, a woman by the codename of Dobermann, along with the current leader of said Organization helped the others. They felt the intensity on the air and the danger that Sanktha sniper brought to them.
Arts and projectiles were shot off, towards Reunions and attempting to pin down Cruz. However, it was proven futile when Cruz returned fire.
Her position and height differences gave a much needed advantages against a group of enemies. Her bolts swiftly cut through the air and pierced most armors equipped by R.I.'s Snipers and Caster.
Those who survived would found themselves unable to move before another bolt pierced their heads.
Blue irises shined with glee before aiming down towards the group once again.
All recordings and statements regarding the battle in Chernobog's city park are hereby deleted. All known information about it merely dubbed "Tragedy of Chernobog" in the database of Rhodes Island. May we never encounter such incident ever again.
"No... NO PLEA-!"
BANG!
A girl flinched as another gunshot echoed through the empty park, the sound was loud and violent incomparable with the background sounds of fighting, fire, and riots.
She was pulled behind the park fountain by a hand, nearly yelping before another hand covered her mouth.
It was another operator of Rhodes Island, a Sniper who shushed her.
"Medic, be quiet! We don't need her to find us!" He said in a shushed tone.
BANG!
Medic flinched as another pleadings were met with gunshot. Her eyes wandered to the ground, unintentionally noticing the bolt protruding from the Sniper's knee.
His leg was basically busted, he won't be able to move fast and far. Without necessary treatment it could be infected.
"Save it." The Sniper grabbed her hand when he saw her reaching into her medic bag. "I'm done either way."
"If she finds us, this fountain will be our grave... Can you play dead?"
Medic hesitantly nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing with fear as with her shaking body.
Inside the fountain were two or three more bodies, they could blend in... then just maybe, they can get out of there alive.
Both laid on their stomach, hiding their faces on the dusty ground so their enemy couldn't see their faces.
Seconds soon turned to minutes, multiple gunshots rang out from a distance but gradually closing in. Pleads were silenced quickly.
Until Medic, who could steal a glance or two, saw a woman peering over the edge of the fountain. Sharp blue eyes looking over the bodies and over herself.
She vaulted over the short walls of the fountain and inspected the first body, it appears she's looking for something that Medic can't see.
She does the same to the other two, putting something she took from them into her bag.
She did hear her mutter some words.
"...May you rest in peace, along with your sins be forgiven."
The girl stood up, her halo still glowing a shade of light blue. But just before she left, her hand reached into her jacket, pulling out something...
BANG!
Medic felt nothing, but dread and fear as a bullet pierced the Sniper's head.
Her body was frozen still, ignoring her command to move, to run away from the Sanktha.
Yet, she was unable to do so... Only her lips moved and like many others, she can only mutters the same words.
"N-no... please..."
"Your luck has run out, Rhodes Island operator."
BANG!
"We need to talk, Ace. Who is that sniper?" Nearl asked planting her mace's tip to the ground.
Ace extinguished his cigarette, sighing deeply as he had though someone was going to ask about it sooner or later.
For as long as he's been fighting along with Rhodes Island, only this time he had seen them accumulated such massive casualties.
"She was an operator from Rhodes Island predecessor. The best sniper I had the pleasure to work with, or at least that what I've thought before."
"She's one of the Elite operators?"
"In a sense, yes, she's a very capable operator. A bit strict not to the point of harshness, she's a nice conversation partner, friendly too, excellent at surpassing expectations, and loyal to a cause." Ace said with a slight tone of nostalgia.
"Anyone marked as enemies of the company were killed not even a week later. All done with a precise shot to the heads or to the knees first to stop their movement."
"I see..." Nearl trailed off, remembering how some of their fellow operators were shot at the knees first. "Anything else you can share?"
"Those bolts of hers are capable to shred our armors, her arrows are made like Caster's staves allowing her to charge it with Arts. Also, keep in mind that she's uninfected." Ace stopped for a moment, glancing at the figure sitting on the other side of the room besides Amiya.
"She's also the Doctor's second in command."
"Huh?"
"She might be loyal to another person who earned her respect and full trust, but her combat aptitude easily made her the Doctor's assistant." Ace sighed once again, pushing himself off the wall he's leaning to. "She's ruthless, knows no mercy whatsoever. There are no bounds of atrocities she have committed. From the looks of it, you seen her do that."
"Yes," Nearl muttered in reply. "She used a flammable gas and something else to taunt my element. The gas burned every Reunion members and civilians inside of it. Fortunately, none of my element members were harmed."
"Not harmed maybe, but get them to check up for mental scars. One of Gabriel's speciality, other than sniping and her grenades, are psychological warfare."
"I'll get to it when we return."
Ace nodded, turning his head towards the front again like before as he pat his pockets for his cigarette pack.
The atmosphere in the resting area was thick, their operators were demoralized after being utterly wrecked by a single person.
The fight against Reunions was relatively easy and not too difficult, especially with the Doctor's orders.
Yet their streaks of success were cut short by the worst defeat they have to face themselves. The fact it was done by a single person just adding salt to the wounds.
Some still cling to their strings, chattering lightheartedly with their teammates or sharing rations. Some sat in silence, either in mourning or still cannot wrap their heads around the current situation.
"Hey! Is that one of ours?"
One operators said with a rather loud voice, alerting the others who stood up to take a better look.
Ace himself looked towards the one who shouted, tracing their fingers towards the figure walking closed to them, step by step.
He saw blue and black uniform so it have to be one of them, plus the operators volunteered to stand guard and make a defensive perimeter hasn't said anything.
The figure walked slowly, dragging their feet on the ground with each step they took.
It was painstakingly slow, until the previously resting operators were able to see her features.
A Feline with short brown hair, her face was looking down to the ground but they're able to identify her class by the armband around her left arm.
Medic.
Several operators get their weapons and moved out, approaching the slowly walking Medic.
The closer they get, they can hear her mutters,
"Everyone... she killed everyone... executed them... everyone... except me..." She muttered the same line over and over again.
Medic's brown pupils was hazed and dull with horror, her feline ears were flatten on top of her head resembling a frightful cat.
"Medic... you alright?" One of the operators reached out, only for her to flinch from their touch.
Medic stared at the operator for a few second before her tense shoulders sagged in relief. But the distrust and fear were still evident in her expression.
"Is... she still following me...?"
An operator quirked her brow, "Who?"
BANG!
"HYAAA!" Medic screamed at the gunshot, clutching her ears shut as tears ran down her cheeks.
Most operators who heard it readied their weapons, although the memories from their previous encounter was still haunts them.
Hence, some of them huddled in fear. Clearly doesn't want to do anything that includes fighting that sniper from before.
All elite operators armed themselves again, Nearl and Ace looking at the rooftops to see any glints from a scope.
Yet, they didn't found anything.
The operators outside quickly seeks refuge inside of a building, one of them pulling Medic along.
Ace was still wary, as long as Gabriel is in the city then there won't be a safe place for them.
Just like she has done many times before, she'll hunt them down until she gets what she wants.
However, Ace didn't lower his guard even a bit. He scanned each rooftops, windows and blind spots.
"Ace!" a voice called out loudly.
He turned to the voice on one of the buildings, noticing a brief blue glow on the rooftop before a small bag was thrown over the edge.
"Consider it a gift!" the same voice proclaimed with hints of confident and taunts.
Inside were none other than ID cards of those who were killed or executed, stained in blood with a single folded piece of letter inside.
[Was it necessary to give someone PTSD with little hope of recovering? Your held that girl at gunpoint, destroying her hope, before merely grazing her face with a bullet.]
"Yup,"
[...I wonder how we can share a body...]
Cruz laughed at the exasperated tone, standing on the edge of a rooftop with her hands open in the air.
"It is one of the biggest mysteries we can only hope to uncover. But considering the current situation, it won't happen until a long time."
Her blue eyes gazes over the dark sky, "We were hesitant to come here. But I'm glad we took the job!"
Cruz lowered her hands back, muttering the words Gabriel said before...
"What's happen today will leave it's mark in history..."
A/N: This chapter is really hard to make... Decisions of whether to make Gabriel friendly or enemies with Rhodes Island? What to name the other personality? what path should she take?
But yeah, it's finished. Can't say I'm fully confident in this chapter, but I like how this will affect the future in this storyline.
Time to erase the other rewrites of this chapters and I'm done, time to move to the next...
That's all for today,
Good day to you all and stay safe friends~
Cheers~