Hey! bestknight32 here srry for the delay but you guys will forgive me when you see the best character of part 1 is here! What else ah yes next releases should remain consistent again unless theirs a gacha event for a game character want.I also like to thank dahliingg again for writing this story your the best! Alright thats it until next time! " RAMIREZ READ THE NEXT CHAPTER!"
The Doctor was conflicted over the choice to leave Ursus on their own but was there any other choice? It had been their great misfortune that they had stumbled upon through the middle of a civil war, one that had spilled out onto the very streets that they had planned to use as their escape route - it seemed that there were more important things than being the hero of the day. For all their faults, that title would have gone to Ursus who had offered to stay behind and battle the mysterious Reunion figure.
As he followed behind the Rhodes Island progression he couldn't help but hazard a glance back, just to see what had become of their unlikely saviours, but everything behind him was now cast in shadows and smoke that the winds of chaos had allowed to roll in. It was more haunting to realize that through the haze he could still hear the combat, the cries and screams of a battle that was hard fought and only reaching it's pinnacle; what would happen should Reunion remain victorious?
Their single file march was stopped abruptly and it caused him to nearly run into the back of Amiya - with his head turned over his shoulder he was hardly expected to be paying attention. The Doctor's focus was taken away from the battle that they had as he peered over Amiya, an easy task given their difference in height, to see Melantha speaking to a man that he had yet to meet - although this meant little when the effects of his amnesia were weighed against the amount of new faces that he would encounter. The Doctor leaned forward so that his mouth was hovering just next to Amiya's ear, close enough to whisper but still far enough that he wouldn't startle her with his proximity.
"Who is that?"
"That's Ace," Amiya replied with her voice equally as low. There wasn't a reason for the secrets or the whispers but she thought she would still play along. "He's one of the elite combatants. He looks scary but …"
She trailed off and it caused the Doctor to only move around her so that he could properly see her face - when he did manage to find her expression there was a cheeky smirk laying there in wait.
"...Nevermind. He kind of is scary."
The Doctor wasn't sure if this was a tease or not, some inside joke that he had either been left out of or simply could not remember, but Amiya's words forced him to observe Ace with a more meticulous eye. Ace was clearly older than the rest of them. He had a stern look about him, or from what the Doctor could see behind darkly tinted sunglasses and a salt and pepper beard that formed across a strong jawline. He was well adorned in armour that seemed to far exceed the standard and it was topped off with a heavy looking shield and a large hammer that was kept loosely in his grasp and at his side.
He had never been a man to shy away from an imposing man, where Ace may have been the brawn in the situation then the Doctor was the brains, and they were all well aware of who fought battles and who won wars.
"What are they saying?"
Amiya turned her gaze upon him with a small smirk but the rest of her expression was unreadable.
"Just because I have these ears … doesn't mean I can use them like that."
The Doctor could only roll his eyes even though he saw the humour in his words. It was nice to share a moment of levity in the midst of this chaos but there was something that still loomed, like the wavering hang of a guillotine blade where a gentle breeze would be enough to have it descend upon them. His patience had worn thin, or perhaps it had been his own pride when the Doctor realized that he was being kept out of the loop, and it was with a final and prideful huff that he lightly brushed past Amiya and stepped closer to Melantha and Ace.
"Have you seen Doberman?"
It was a question overhead as the Doctor finalized his steps to end up standing alongside Melantha. It was all that was needed for Ace to turn his attention upon the Doctor and they exchanged glances for a moment. The Doctor wasn't sure if Doberman had updated him on the current events of the rescue mission, or even the state that he was in now - even their prior relationship was completely unknown to the Doctor. Eventually all Ace did was nod, whether it was curt or respectful remained to be seen, but then the elite guard turned his attention back to Melantha to continue their conversation.
"Briefly."
Whatever the Doctor thought Ace's voice would sound like was immediately dropped by two octaves; his tone rumbled with a deeper baritone that seemed to exactly emulate his appearance.
"She went to secure the extraction site."
"Did you come alone?" It was the Doctor that would interject this time as he had finally begun to lose his patience over being left out of the conversation.
Ace seemed to only reply with a smirk, the expression barely tugging upon the corner of his lips - The Doctor was sure he was the kind of man that would not let the emotion reach his eyes.
"They're watching."
It was vague and the Doctor couldn't help but sigh at the lack of specificity; with a war broiling behind them and the danger of the unknown ahead, it would have been nice to know how bolstered their ranks truly were. Ace seemed relatively proud of himself for the answer that was given and the Doctor could only roll his eyes, a movement that brought his attention back to the quickly darkening cloud of smoke and smog that seemed to be rolling closer to them. There seemed to be something within that mass, something sinister and vile, and with every whips and tendril of smoulder and vapour the Doctor could feel his apprehension rising.
"We should meet up with Doberman," came Melantha's voice right before she turned around to the Rhodes Island progression and gestured for them to continue whilst following Ace's new lead.
"Wait."
The Doctor stepped forward just in time to see Melantha and Ace turn their backs, ready to march their band of misfits to the extraction site that Doberman was currently securing, but there was something in his mind that made him believe that retreat was not their only option.
"We should stay. We should fight."
Melantha's face obviously skewed into an expression of confusion and shock while Ace's face, at no surprise, remained deadpanned … if not only slightly interested to hear what the Doctor had to say.
"Ursus is creating a diversion for us," Melantha explained as if the Doctor had forgotten the sacrifice that they had made only moments before.
"Which means that the Reunion numbers will be diminished where ours are now only bolstered with Ace's team," he countered logically. This was not a sense of debate for the Doctor. His tone remained level and his expression steady. It was becoming clearer what his role was with Rhodes Island beyond what small suggestions Amiya had made, and even if this was questionable it was obvious in the way that Ace had stopped to listen to the Doctor that his voice and opinion held some sway.
The Doctor shared a glance with Ace and it was slightly reassuring to see that the other man didn't object entirely.
"It could work…"
When Ace gave his own sense of approval, even if the words lacked any sort of affirmative moral support, Melantha looked at both men as if they had lost their minds.
With Ace seemingly bought in he turned his attention to Melantha directly with both of his hands reaching out to gently grip her forearms. It wasn't to force her to make a decision that he would have wanted but instead to implore her to, at the very least, listen.
"They're coming this way anyways. Can't you tell?"
There was nothing distinguishable that would have told them this, no sound or sight of Reunion had yet to break the cover of smoke but there was a feeling in the air that told the Doctor that the inevitable was looming. He watched as Melantha looked back to where they had come from and it was then that her own worry was exposed.
"We're in the perfect position now. If we lead them on and closer to the extraction site it gives them time to regroup and plan. Whatever work Doberman has done will be for nothing."
The Doctor's arguments were always logical and that was both a strength and a weakness. There was more to any good plan above and beyond tactics and strategy. There were human lives to be managed and considered but that had been and never would be his first priority. The Doctor needed people around who could level this in him, to provide the perspectives that he never could see, which is why opinions like Melantha's and Amiya's were so important; he was not so stuck in his pride that he could not see his own failings.
His gaze was unrelenting as he watched the thought play across Melantha's face, with her downturned purple eyes and her demure and muted expressions, but eventually she relented with nothing more than a nod.
The Doctor was spurred into action, lest there be any other objections that he needed to manage, and turned to the team with a focused and almost stern gaze hiding behind his all turned to watch him expectantly and the force of this combined reverence struck the Doctor immediately. It was the first time that he really understood the power that he held and the role that he played, a chess master with it's pieces, but something behind their eyes reminded him that they trusted him completely and that was not something to take lightly.
"Right. I need Steward, Amiya and Adanchiel taking the ranged positions," the Doctor started as he looked around their position on the street that would be their stronghold. "You can use those cars to give yourself the advantage but be careful."
It was easy in the way that his eyes drifted to Amiya like he wanted to see her reaction and it was duly given; she nodded firmly and immediately moved with Steward and Adanchiel to the place he had pointed out as being their position.
"Ansel," he continued with a certain shortness of breath, "I need you in front of Amiya and the rest. We'll surround you with units to keep you safe but that is the best position for you to heal if needed."
Ansel was quiet as he left his place to follow behind Amiya but his instructions left no reason to argue.
With the ranged units now in place the Doctor turned to face Ace, Cardigan and Melantha who had all grouped up in front of them waiting. "Ace and Cardigan you take the front with Melantha behind. You'll draw them in and keep them together so that our range can take them down from afar."
It was a risky tactic given the intimacy of the street and the lack of space that it provided but there was no other option. The rest of the Rhodes Island forces were dispersed between the main team, mostly combatants that had followed him from his rescue and meant to accompany them to the extraction site. The Doctor stepped back to admire his own genius but the moment was dashed by the sound of shuffling that came from within the smoke and mists.
"They're coming!" The Doctor's voice boomed through the street and everyone trained their eyes forward, straining into the wisps of darkness as lumbering shadows began to emerge. If any of the Rhodes Island members were frightened it did not show on their face and the Doctor could feel a point of pride swelling at this fact. It was only a silhouette at first, appearing as nothing more than a ghostly outline through the grey and black clouds that hovered just above the littered surface of the streets - without a moment there seemed to be an army of them. Each of them lumbered forward with inspired steps, clearly showing signs of fatigue from their brief battle with the Ursus forces - The Doctor felt his breath hitch as he witnessed the state of them.
The first to break the shield of the smoke was covered with splatters of blood, bright red and fresh, speckling his dark uniform with such saturation that it could still be seen through the dark fabric. It painted across his mask like modern art, macabre in its nature and volatile in it's display and the Doctor could only imagine what had been done to create such a mess. The few that followed after the leading Reunion member were dressed in the same way, a bloody but triumphant mess, and the Doctor couldn't help but hazard a glance towards his Rhodes Island forces to judge their reactions; they were all the same. There were differing levels of shock and disgust that was written on all their faces but the Doctor was happy to see that it seemed to bolster their adamant rather than cause them to wither. Even Amiya, who would have been known as the softest among them in heart, seemed to take the horrors and use them as fuel as her lips set in a grim line and her hands seemed to ball into fists.
"Steady…" The Doctor warned as he waited for the rest of the Reunion members to emerge from the smoke - he needed to know exactly how many there were before they launched their attack.
The most damning vision came later with the rear of the group finally exiting the shadows, but unlike the other Reunion forces they were not empty-handed. In his hand trailed behind the body of one of the Ursus soldiers, limp and heavy as he was dragged by his ankles behind the hulking Reunion member that kept him in a tight grip as they walked down the street. His back roughly ground against the pavement but from The Doctor was standing it seemed like he was still alive, but barely - a macabre and grim trophy of sorts from their previous victory. For a moment their eyes seemed to meet, the man and the Doctor, and there was a sense of pleading behind the Ursus soldiers' eyes that suggested he might rather die than be subjected to such cruelty. There were a few others in the same state that were being dragged behind and following the rear of such a violent progression and it created a sense of violence within the Doctor. It wasn't that he had any lost love for Ursus, no one in their fight had hands that were completely void of blood, but Reunion had turned war into a sport and they were making it known that they were the victors.
It didn't seem that they had noticed Rhodes Island posted in the street in front of them, they too were dazed by the smoke and fatigued from their most recent battle, which only worked to their advantage as they seemed to have the element of surprise. The Reunion member leading the packed stopped when he saw them and the rest did the same, a ripple effect that ended in the back of the marching order that eventually resulted in a name being called - The Doctor couldn't hear what it was from that distance but it seemed like the seas parted as someone stepped forward.
From the fray emerged a woman and with her came the overwhelming sense of war. Her hair was bright red, small tendrils peeking out from behind a black hood with the bottom half of her face obscured by a similarly coloured mask. The only part of her that was visible was her eyes. They were sharp and determined, cutting through the Doctor like knives, and he couldn't help the way that his body tensed as an immediate reaction.
"Doctor?" Amiya's voice sounded through the street towards him, almost like she had known the strain he was under and sought to pull him out of it. The Doctor had never felt this before, such a feeling of immediate loathing, but he knew that emotions were no place when he was planning a victory - they would only complicate matters.
"Hold, Amiya."
His instructions were clear and Rhodes Island waited as the woman continued to speak with the lead Reunion member, the topic of their conversation being still completely unknown, but it was only a brief moment before it ended and the fire haired woman took her leave and walked to the edge of the streets - situated in much of the same way that the Doctor was. She was clearly the leader just as he was, the sharp and tactile minds of the group, but there was a feeling in him that made him think that she was much more than a mastermind.
A sound from her rang out through the deadly silent street and within a moment chaos reigned once more. Reunion members launched into a sprint towards them, their faces feral and angry as they shared in layers of determined war cries that only grew in volume the closer they approached.
"Doctor." Amiya's voice was pointed now, more worried, and the Doctor looked over and called to Ace to get his attention.
"Don't you think it's time for your team to make an appearance?"
Ace turned just his head to the side at the Doctor's address and his lips quivered into a small smirk; it was almost irritating to the Doctor to see how Ace didn't seem to be taking the matter seriously but what may have been perceived as levity could have easily been confidence. The fact that Ace seemed so calm and collected was actually needed now that the Reunion forces were rampaging towards them - it provided the others with a sense of steady to see that one of their best members unflinching in the face of the coming assault.
"You might be right," Ace replied with his deep voice rumbling with a sort of laugh in it's tone. "I guess there is no fooling you."
The Doctor watched Ace raise the arm that was holding onto his weapon high above his head and it didn't take a moment before several Rhodes Island forces seemed to step out from their hiding places around them. They were perfectly covered and had been watching the whole time which oddly filled the Doctor with a sense of security that they seemingly outnumbered the Reunion forces, not that he had doubts with their current team, but it was always better to be prepared. They were other elite troupes like Ace and meticulously in formation, with their shields held out in front of them and their long and pointed spears protruding from the smallest of cracks between the next soldier's armor. It was a commanding introduction as they assumed a position next to Ace in the frontlines and it showed the kind of command that he had over his team - whoever had placed him in charge knew what they were doing.
Now that their new reinforcements were in place they were ready to meet the Reunion forces head on and the two collided like a raging storm.
"Now!"
The Doctor had waited for the perfect time to strike when they were far enough away that they could snipe them at a distance but close enough that the frontlines would be able to hold them back as Amiya and Adanchiel began their work. It was a flurry of powers and projectiles that came flying overhead in a brilliant volley, almost like it was blocking out the sun as it descended upon the Reunion forces who continued to charge and cry in the heat of battle. The Doctor watched as some collided with their marks while others missed, a necessary part of any war, and continued to watch the battle play out in silence from his position deep in the backlines. Perhaps some men would have liked to be in the thick of the battle like Ace, with his shield high and his hammer swinging violently - even from the Doctor's position he could see the way that the other man was smiling in the midst of such chaos.
The melee units were showing equal supremacy with Ace leading them and his units taking the brunt of what would have been a violent attack. It was clear that Reunion were fatigued from their battles only moments before, but to assume that they would be too tired to fight back was not an assumption the Doctor was willing to make. There was another side to weary that could rear its head in situations like this and that was when rage took over and adrenaline took the place of your limbs when all you wanted to do was lay your head in rest - The Doctor kept a careful eye on the battle to ensure that this wasn't what happened in case it would overwhelm his forces. Rhodes Island was beginning to feel more like his own now that he was properly at the helm. The Doctor still didn't know who he was or what kind of work he had to put in to make this team what it was, but he was aware of his abilities and the power of his mind which is why he did not cower from a fight that he may not have completely understood.
A thought crossed his mind as he considered how to drive their fatigue further and he knew that Reunion must have been running on fumes by now - The Doctor would hazard a glance to the redheaded leader to see that her face was tense as she observed the battle like they both understood the same thing when it came to how this conflict would likely end.
"Amiya!"
The Doctor, not wanting to be overheard by the redhead, ran closer to where Amiya was perched on top of a car and waved his hands above his head to get her attention through the sound of explosions and the cries of war - once he was able to find the girl's attention he cupped his hands around his mouth to act as an amplifier of sorts to his next command.
"Make your explosions bigger!"
"What?!"
It was clear that she didn't understand what he was asking, or perhaps she had simply not heard, which caused the Doctor to inhale a violent gust of air before continuing.
"Make it bigger. Just … just bigger."
Although her face showed confusion she didn't hesitate once the order was given. Amiya's expression was determined and focused as she summoned her power in a massive quantity, the lights and the energy that crackled was obvious from afar until it appeared that she was being engulfed by some massive nova of pure ability. It was a harrowing thing to witness, especially to one that didn't know how soft in personality and kind in soul she may have been - all they saw was a large stream of power that was aimed just behind them which resulted in exploding debris and bits of concrete flying into the air.
The Reunion attackers stumbled back from the force of it as it seemed to shake the earth beneath their feet while some could be seen casting worried glances over to the redhead - her glare was skewed behind the covering over her face but it was clear from the Doctor's position that she was not thrilled by the showing of cowardice.
"Just like that, Amiya! You're doing great!"
The Doctor's words of encouragement were almost uncharacteristically excited compared to how he had presented himself previously, and somehow he knew that this was largely out of character for his typical self, but to see a plan go as intended and victory impending was an intoxicating feeling of relief. He didn't want to give Reunion the opportunity to regroup and find their strength after their bout with Ursus - it was nothing more than a fear tactic to use large lights and booming noises to elicit cowardice in them … and it seemed to have worked. A few of the long ranged units had started to take steps back to hide behind cover while the melee units, still very much preoccupied by Ace and his team, were served grave punishment as a result of their torn focus and wavering conversation. They were cut down to size quickly, and with no loss from Rhodes Island, and it was with a hidden smile that the Doctor looked over to see the redhead glaring down at him.
He was happy to have gotten under her skin and to have it show - a leader was not meant to show their weakness in case it somehow impacted those that looked to them for guidance. The rebellion was crumbling and the Doctor's demeanour softened slightly, less stressed and shaken by the idea that they would lose this battle, and perhaps it was that sight that caused the redhead to react the way she did. For a moment they shared a tense connection, their gazes were locked as if the woman was trying to tell him something, but it was only a brief glimpse of humanity before she turned on her heel and began to sprint into the fray wildly. It was a violent shift that the Doctor wasn't expecting which was the reason why he faltered and even took a step back - to witness such volatility was shocking and it was Amiya's voice that took him out of his shock.
"She's coming!"
The Doctor was snapped out of his macabre sense of awe as he looked back to see Amiya's face and noted the genuine apprehension that was painted upon her delicate features. It spurred him to act as he turned to both Amiya, Steward and Adanchiel and commanded their attention with a booming voice.
"Fire everything!"
They only needed to nod once before they were focusing their attacks on the adamant driven woman but she was fueled by something far greater than need - there was hatred behind her eyes as she continued to charge forward whilst dodging and weaving the flurry of attacks that were being thrown at her. Amiya did not falter and her power came in waves, furious and with a true target, but despite her best efforts nothing seemed to pin the redhead down. The Doctor watched with his own frustration boiling as she seemed to effortlessly avoid every attack, and when she almost didn't, she was quick to take hold of a fleeing Reunion member and use their back as a guard against one of Amiya's attacks. It was as dark as it was effective and the Doctor found his gaze following the fallen that was discarded without any real care towards the dead.
The redhead was approaching the frontlines with a fury at every step, almost like her footfalls could shake the earth beneath their feet, and everyone turned to look at him for some sort of direction as to what they should do; the ranged attacks had been a woeful waste and it seemed like there was no deterring her now.
"Cardigan! Melantha! You have to stop her," The Doctor could hear the rise of annoyance in his own voice that they both responded to as they charged forward to meet the Reunion leader head on. The Doctor watched as Cardigan lifted her great shield and sprinted forward - her strength was obvious in the way that the large metal structure was effortlessly lifted with one hand so that she could wield her weapon in the other. Cardigan was made for supremacy and not finesse, which meant that the redhead was quick enough to avoid a downward slash of Cardigan's blade and the resulting smash downward of her shield. The Doctor winced at the near misses but Melantha slashed her blade forward to nearly catch the woman off guard, nearly - steel cut through the tense nothingness and they were then all forced to watch as the attacker shifted on her heel and began to run directly towards him.
He stumbled back with his eyes wide with surprise, the same expression that was written on every face now that they were forced to witness what could be the end for the man that they risked so much to rescue in the first place. The Doctor heard shouting and screams of his name but he ignored them; now was not the time for sentiment when his life was in danger and his odds of survival remained slim. He knew he was not a fighter and it was clear that she was, which left the Doctor at an impossible impasse where it was his brains over her brawn. His eyes hastily searched the battlefield for anything that he could use as a weapon and all he could settle upon was a rock. Without a thought he bent down to pick it up and started to charge towards her, the shouts and screams of warning from Rhodes Island was obvious as they cried for him to stop, but his plan had already been thought out and it all started with him … throwing the rock.
It was easily deflected, which he had anticipated, but it forced the redhead's attention to his free hand that was cocked back into what looked like a vicious strike. She easily captured his fist in her palm and the two finally met, face to face, a rock meeting a solid object as they stared each other down. The Doctor refused to cower as he was pulled closer against her. Her smile was sickening, almost like she was mad and lost in that madness.
"What good are you if you can't fight?"
Even her voice held a sort of strain to it, like every word was a tightly wound chord that was ready to snap.
The Doctor only smiled at her words and pulled back his free hand, that hand that she had not captured in her grip, and began to stab her across the back. The movements were heavy and quick, peppering her back and the space between her ribs with flurry strikes, and it was well-worth the deception just to see her look of shock as she released him and stumbled back. Her hands furiously touched her body, checking her palms for the first sign of red, but when no such coloured stained her skin she looked up to see the Doctor's satisfied smile. Slowly, he exposed his hand to find nothing inside of it.
"Did my nail hurt you?"
His cocky demeanor was evident on his face as he showed her what he had done by making a fist with his thumb poking out. It was a vicious shift to watch the fiery haired woman's face turn from shock to anger, the kind of rage that caused a growl to rumble through her chest, but just as she lunged for him that was when Ace appeared and roughly threw her back. The Doctor, now standing behind Ace's large and imposing guard, kept his eye on her as Rhodes Island began to corner and close her in.
She was alone without her Reunion forces, many of which had retreated after seeing her best by the unarmed Doctor. Her eyes darted like a cage beast, her shoulders hunched and her expression nearly feral, and the Doctor would remember the look behind her eyes just before she disappeared in a cloud of smoke - it was hatred, raw and powerful, and it shook him to his core.
The Doctor turned to face Rhodes Island and was almost tackled over by Amiya who had run from her place on top of the cars to wrap her arms around his middle. His own arms hovered over her for a moment as her ears caressed his face, but eventually he relented and felt his hands rest along her back - it was all he could manage to return even if he didn't return the fierceness of the squeeze that came with the hug.
"I'm so happy you're alright!"
Her words were muttered into his chest and the Doctor's lips managed to twist into a small smile.
"Was there any doubt?"
