Turn 9: Pulling The Trigger
"Black and White meet on the board, ice that destroys and ice that preserves."
Rain fell onto the outskirts of Lungmen, the pattering drops of water cascade into a mellow symphony. A hail of tears or a cry from the heavens, artistic interpretations aside it casts a grim and foreboding sky to the citizens and the people who lodged there for the occasion.
The Doctor looked at the condensation forming from the window at Whelp's Cove, the steam emanating from his drink gave him a much needed source of heat from the chill.
"It's not odd for Talulah to call me if she needs something..." The Doctor sipped from his cup of hot cocoa, "But what's taking her so long?"
He looked at the empty seat on his opposite side, while he was waiting for Talulah he shared his table with a Vulpo girl who was definitely not familiar with Lungmen based on how she tried to make sense of their menus. He had to suppress a slight chuckle when he overheard MASK from her headphones, she had sharp hearing however given that she has still able to hear him.
A beeping noise from her phone later she rose up from her seat, the strange girl left in a hurry not even staying to enjoy the drink she ordered.
As he was about to finish his cup of hot chocolate the bell rang from the door, Talulah went inside with her tame choice of clothes. She was never a fan of gaudy dresses and frills but her own fashion sense left a lot to be desired, the Doctor was only able to help her on that front because he spends a lot of time with female Operators.
Needless to say, a long-sleeved shirt and some pants with a more casual hairstyle was a step-up from what she thinks Casual Friday means.
He always wondered why there's so many female Operators in comparison to the guys but thanks to that the few that are were tight in their bonds.
Talulah waved her hand and took her seat facing him, but something was off.
"Wait, no..." The girl that he knew didn't smile with a porcelain mask in her face, this was a whole new beast but "new" would be misleading that darkness just barely kept on a leash...
The creature he fought at their first meeting on Chernobog.
It was unwise to do something given that there are way too many people in the vicinity for a fight, this thing would burn the place and three blocks near it if he decided to attack. If it wanted to fight him the Doctor wouldn't even have the time to rationalize his decisions, it wanted to talk.
"Ah, this is the second time we have met is it not?" It's choice of speech was refined and the way it spoke through Talulah's body carried a form of nobility. Yet it was all a facade, a mask to hide much more twisted wishes behind it's veil; only the truly desperate would see this as truth.
The thing's words meant nothing but a foul sound to the Doctor's ears. A voice of a snake, he was sure that every breath of air it made with her body that instead of carbon dioxide it breathed out invisible toxins to the air with every syllable, designed to do harm.
"I understand your hostility but do not fret, I'm sure you can tell that if I desire to hurt you we would not be having this talk." It took out a chessboard and a rather ornate one at that, "A game if you please."
The Doctor almost wrenched at the sight of the game, he was able to not go into hysterics seeing that game with therapy but even now he feels a sense of disgust when seeing it, he was not opposed to playing a game maybe because even though it was pleasantries his companion would not take a no for an answer. Its eyes were the testing kind, it wanted an evaluation.
"I'll take the black side." The snake nodded and switched the board and promptly took their first piece.
They moved the ivory white pawn with a wry smile and the Doctor followed suit with his own opening.
Much time had passed and the thing controlling Talulah's body smiled wryly. Not because they won, on the contrary they lost the game even though they put up a decent fight.
It's just that the Doctor did not lost a single piece.
The man immediately took the defensive as the Black player of the board, the Doctor was averse and determined in not losing a single piece yet even though it was detriment to him as a player, however once the enemy took a trap he planted all the attacks lined up.
His opponent couldn't counter or develop an attack of his own, in a matter of minutes the entire board was unraveled by the Black pieces.
The thing marveled at the sight then it laughed with an intrigued tone, "As expected, I knew that I would lose but not to this extent..."
"Perhaps that is what makes you so intriguing." They then observed the board with a pensive stare, "I can see why she would be interested in you."
The Doctor ignored the compliment from this dark being he's spending time with, instead he chose to stare at its figure hoping to burn it with his mind. It was frustrating that he couldn't just exorcise this spirit hijacking her body as well as the fact that the other patrons are not aware of the danger.
"Even though this is just a measly game, you stopped at nothing to protect your own pieces." The being residing in Talulah's body paused, "Are you that averse to loss?"
The Doctor tried to ignore its question yet he found himself pondering over it, why was he hellbent on making sure that he did not lose any piece and why was he able to win with that self-imposed handicap?
"The reason for that is standing right in front of me."
It scoffed, delighted to see his barely concealed fury, "I am not the first or the last that will tale a piece from your board Doctor, it was a battle and they were casualties."
He went silent, refusing to give it the satisfaction of an answer.
"You would make a great leader for our cause..." The Doctor held himself back from scoffing, as if he would join the people who tried to kill him and the people who rescued him from that hellhole Reunion made. Not to mention that this thing he put to sleep was wearing his friend's skin like the body was something they owned.
Seeing that look on the Doctor's face intensify, they returned it with a smirk of their own. He could have sworn that even if that fiend was residing within Durin's body it would still be the expression of true evil.
"You look at me as if I'm some kind of wretch Doctor, why is that?"
The Doctor refused to answer, preferring to continue their glare at it.
"If you think that I usurped her will by my own power then you would be mistaken." The Doctor raised a brow at that statement, "She let me in Doctor, I only mean to bring her what she wanted all along."
With those words left, the specter stood up and with Talulah's body took their leave.
"It was pleasant seeing you, if you manage to survive I hope you would stay be her side." It was strange hearing that from her body but the Doctor could only stare the being inside it.
Once the snake left the restaurant, he felt dirty speaking with it. The Doctor could feel its eyes peering down on him looking at him like prey to be gobbled down, nourishment for its twisted ambitions.
That very fiend returned sober and is now reigning in Talulah's free will once more.
With some twisted excitement in himself, he could not wait to expel that cancerous element from his patient's body and soul.
Yet, that last statement the shadow had imparted towards him was any of that true? The Talulah he bonded with never had any malice in her heart, he could attest to that as someone who can peer into the souls of others.
To his dismay his drink went cold and when he took a sip and after playing chess with that being, and it tasted bitter.
0o0
The same rain was a melancholic companion to the morose atmosphere that Amiya wandered towards. Once the Ark had returned to Lungmen she could not help but set her eyes to the slums, something was calling to her about that place, as if her short-lived friendship guided her.
Kal'tsit, the maternal figure in her life was hesitant in allowing her to go but she had her Persona by her side and in no way was she ever alone.
"Woah." Alarmed at a kid suddenly bumping at her; she helped the child up, "Sorry...I didn't mean to..."
It was alright with kind girl, she was understood that it was an accident even gesturing it by using one of the Lungmen hand-signals that she learned from Ch'en, the girl assured her that everyone in her home understood what it meant.
Amiya elected to just say "Mou mantai" but that was sort of Ch'en's thing.
"I'm alright thank you for your concern." She spoke in choppy Yen language.
Understanding that it wasn't an offense on their part they then asked out of concern, "Wait, why are you out in the rain big sis? You should find a place to wait the rain out."
"Oh, I'm just taking a walk but you're out too...are you looking for help by any chance?"
Astonished on Amiya's being dead on, they nodded sheepishly, "Yeah...but...no big sis is too short."
The kid was taking a jab back to the little bunny girl for being figured out that easily.
Hearing this she scolded the kid, that was not a good way to talk to someone you just met after all. Getting back to the young child's predicament they directed Amiya to a plank obstructing something the kid wants to reclaim.
"There, a plank is keeping me from getting that phonograph." A phonograph? That was the first time she heard of such a device, the Ark was filled with technology and various modern forms of entertainment.
The small child tried to lift it on their own at first, a few tries to show how difficult it was for them alone later, "See, it's hard but I think we can do it together."
Amiya was stronger than before she was no longer just a powerhouse of an ARTS user that would take critical damage if left unattended and while it was overkill for a plank of wood she knew without a doubt that she would struggle if she was the Amiya from days ago.
"One, two, and three!" The plank was not blocking the way no more and the kid was eager to take their prize. The phonograph looking broken was soaked in the downpour on the Lungmen slums.
"You're really strong big sis, I couldn't have done this without ya." They carried the thing like it was made of glass, the phonograph could have fallen and it wouldn't change the fact that it was a broken piece of junk.
"It's broken though..."
Yet that did not deter them from their delight at getting it, "It's fine it was already broken but I know one day that it will be fixed, then I'll play all the records I collected for everyone." Amiya was a bit envious of the kid's optimism, the kid had gone through so much hardship and they are still able to be good as well being able to grasp and savor every tiny speck of hope they found.
Even though they were just like her...
"Aren't you afraid though?" It was an understandable question to make, it was the normal state of things in this place for people like this child to be feared, "I'm an Infected."
"So am I."
"Awww but big sis is so cute and pretty..." Is that really that bad to be an Infected? The answer to that question is not set in stone but the major consensus in the world that being one makes you lesser. To the point that even the Infected themselves see it as a slight to one's overall character.
For a kid to point that out as a shame, truly this disease of discrimination is down to the roots.
"It doesn't matter if you are healthy or an Infected, if you are a good person then you are a good person." The child was perplexed at the statement, it was a concept they couldn't comprehend living in the slums and in a society where the afflicted are demoralized and punished for sickness. Dogma branded into the minds of one's citizens is a hard idea to remove.
"I don't get what you're saying but did Misha made that for you?" The kid pointed towards the keychain poking out of Amiya's pocket, the one that she made in the image of another friend.
Amiya took out the small plush of Jack and covered it with her hand, "How could you tell?"
"Big Sis Misha always makes toys for us when she has stuff for it, I guess that's why you're here too?" The rabbit girl was now the one astonished by the kid's deduction, she chuckled while putting the plush to the safety of her pocket.
"Yeah, I made a promise to her."
"Oh...I wonder where she is now though. The other kids say that she isn't really from here so maybe she went back to her home?" It was an innocent question but she couldn't bring herself to answer the kid truthfully, especially when she had a hand in that incident even if it was all justified.
Before the child could ask anymore, their stomach grumbled with a loud roar they haven't eaten in a while and in the slums any bit of food is precious.
In response, Amiya gave the child some rations she always had on her person. They were biscuits that tasted bland but they can make a soldier go on without food for a lengthy amount of time.
"Here, this is the only stuff I had on me." The kid was eager to satiate their hunger and almost took it with haste, after taking the rations they stuff themselves with one and savory every instance of the bland flavor.
"Thank you so much, thank goodness..." Amiya was happy to see the kid filled with relief and a filled belly seeing some parts of their body return with signs of vitality in them.
With a bow and a happy smile the child with the phonograph took off in gratitude they waved at each other before they went about their separate ways, leaving Amiya alone in the rainy street of the slums.
"Hey, did anybody else saw that?" She echoed her call throughout the slums begging to be heard, not to be patted on the head for a job well done, "Please don't remain silent, if you need help please tell me!"
She wanted to know if there was still anyone else who needs aid, she could definitely sense other people in the midst of helping that child.
She asked if someone needed help but no one came.
Whatever the Infected had done, did not warrant this kind of cruelty. Is this truly what awaits the Infected? A lifetime of pain, succumbing to hunger, fear, and the iron hammer of oppression? It overwhelmed Amiya to think that this was the reality she was fighting against and to think that she was days ago living it large on Siesta.
Amidst the whirlwind of this cruel reality she felt like she was drowning in a torrent of her own thoughts, fighting against Shadows was way easier than this.
When you become Infected you lose everything, your identity, rights, and even your will to live.
A familiar voice echoed in her mind, the voice that led to her newfound power.
"What can I do...to save everyone?" She asked this familiar voice not in defiance but as a plea, an answer.
There is nothing you can do.
Amiya almost denied this truth but in the torrent of her own mind she asked herself another question, why can't she save everyone? What is stopping her from helping those in need?
The life of an Infected ends in three forms; Hunger, Oppression, and Death. They cannot change this fact for as long as they lived.
Miseria cannot lie, she is by design a being unable to be dishonest with her user for she is an extension of her. These are naught but Amiya's own observations, they could not change their role but who can?
As much as it is tempting to deny this truth, it was not because of some ordained rule from the sky but rather an ideal made truth by those who designed it to be.
"No, you are right Miseria. Even with all our might we fought for this "truth" to be overturned we are still far from making a breakthrough." When she almost denied it, she felt hollow for a split second. Miseria hummed approvingly, pleased that her master understood what she meant. This is reality of Terra at the moment and her journey to undo these binds was far from over.
It is not just the Infected who are bound do not forget how fortunate you are, these shackles do not fit you anymore.
"I don't understand what you mean."
You are free from the shackles that bound others to this system, you who possess the power to decide your fate. The gift of "autonomy."
Acting in itself is an arduous task, these children lost their autonomy to desire and strive for a tomorrow where their needs are met.
Amiya could so much as offer them help but in order for them to at least have some needs met, they have to help themselves. Yet they believe that they shouldn't even dare to reach out on an outstretched hand.
Thus you must never lose sight of that gift my other self, and let your rage and shared misery drive you as such. Be in pain when others are hurt, shed tears when misery abounds for that is what sustains your will to fight, that is what separates monsters from mere beasts.
Beasts act on instinct but no matter how vile a monster becomes there is something that drives them.
Miseria's voice disappeared from her mind and now Amiya felt calmer than ever. After that exchange in her mind she heard a child's voice echo behind her, naturally she looked over but then she saw a familiar figure getting wet with the rain like her.
"Big sis told me that the ones you make yourself would work so this is for you!" The silhouette accepted it graciously when Amiya looked in closer she finally made out who it was.
0o0
Ch'en smiled faintly at the young kid's gift but her senses kicked in as she noticed someone nearby. It was Amiya who went to this place for her own reasons perhaps. The kid beside her took note of her change in expression and after handing her the keepsake ran off in the pouring rain.
Both leaders stared at each other like old acquaintances visiting someone's funeral, Amiya went towards her with the same pondering look that Ch'en bore on her face.
She then took out her own keepsake from a friend, it was not exact but now they match even in that particular detail. Bearing witness to that mission's tragic end, the two found the whiplash between the days amusing as a form of macabre.
Or rather sad that there was a sort of amusement to be found in it.
"You scared too?" Ch'en said without looking at Amiya, preferring to face the rainy slums instead. As if she was too engrossed in facing down a monster only she can see. Was she afraid of it? Absolutely and she is scared of the fact that she cannot escape this encounter no matter how desperate she is for a solution.
Yet she believed that she alone could have any hope to face it.
Amiya nodded, this was the first time she saw Ch'en make an expression like this. If this is her face when she is afraid what would she look like in despair? The familiar emotion that haunts Amiya's every step towards her goal. The young leader wondered if she could face the same invisible enemy that plagues the superintendent's vision.
The Lung was never a big fan of vices, her lighter was only for practical use and the sauce was not something she enjoyed frequently, but what would she give to pretend that the world she knows isn't crumbling down and unraveling at the seams. Her trip to Siesta was a pleasant experience but it only left her with a feeling of longing, like a wonderful dream.
It was a temporary diversion that everyone needed, a feeling of time passing by.
"If I had the same power as you and the Doctor, would I be able to..." She whispered as her question was lost in the heavy rain wailing down the mobile city's pavement, it was a faint plea to be absolved of her burden. She was jealous of the two when they called upon that power for they looked so free and strong so she wondered if she could feel like that too.
So that was what Ch'en sensed on that day they were briefed on Lungmen's road to ruin.
Strength is something Ch'en did not lack but the feeling of total control over yourself and the certainty of their path exuded within the Doctor and shortly after that mission Amiya possessed the same power.
They looked at each other with understanding, they silently swore to never disclose this encounter to anyone they knew nor to anyone else. A few more minutes of self-reflection passed by and they returned to their designated roles.
From one young leader to another they found solidarity beneath the pouring rain.
0o0
While the three were battling the demons from their minds, a squad prepared to re-enter the ruins of a city from Ursus. The meeting ground of the Doctor and Rhodes Island and the rebirth of their man of interest.
The team consisted of Frostleaf, Meteorite, and Jessica. A perfect composition no matter how you slice it, the perfect setup for reconnaissance missions. Frostleaf can go for ranged and close-quarters combat, Jessica as one of the few Operators who can use a firearm is able to neutralize enemies in quick succession as well having ways to throw off pursuers with her smokescreen. Lastly, Meteorite can handle squads with her powerful area of effect bolts and as a Sarkaz she is stronger than the average Joe by default.
"What this ice?" Jessica quickly asked as they were in the entry point, which was the team's exit point when they rescued the Doctor. Meteorite quickly dragged Jessica away from the strange ice, not wanting to trifle with that foreign thing.
However Frostleaf reassured her that it was fine, as the resident user of that ARTS she can easily determine what the lodged icicle was, "Strange, this isn't Reunion's doing but it doesn't seem to be something made by a Caster."
"Ah, I remember." Jessica piped up, "The Doctor told me that he spread ice throughout this place when he got his power." Meteorite quickly understood what she was saying, she sometimes saw the Feline with the man training in the Ark so she figured he would have told that tale.
Heck, King's Wand Operators and the former Rhine Lab workers fervently asked the Doctor on how he come to use this so-called "Spirit ARTS" Yet, as much analysis the Doctor allowed them to conduct results were still indecisive much to Skyfire's chagrin.
Although one cannot shake the feeling that Silence's study was more than academic curiosity.
"That explains the dead body over there." Frostleaf pointed out, there was a corpse behind the icicle formation and based on the look of the body it was only a few days ago, meaning that this piece of ice stayed longer than the body itself.
The corpse looked like they touched the formation and then slowly collapsed, the ice was the last straw however, on closer inspection the body had scorch marks and cuts all over it. Judging by the timeline and the attacks that laden on it, it was a certain katana-wielding Sarkaz whom they've fought.
Yet, the strangest part was the ice gave off a gentle breeze to them and then the three girls felt more limber than before. Almost like the ice gave off an aura that relieved of pain that they themselves haven't noticed.
"Indeed, this strange ice was able to heal our Operators while being a deterrent to Reunion before." Kal'tsit chimed in towards the communication line, finding it strange that those pieces of ice lingered she made a note to ask for an explanation when he gets back.
"I see...so this thing hurts Reunion but is beneficial to us." Meteorite made it a point to find more of these places if this was scattered about, that might be part of the reason as to why there were no Reunion members here so any place with the same icicles laden in the earth would be a Safe Zone.
While discussing about this strange formation and explosion rang throughout the vicinity, it was strange to hear that but it did not mean that their cover was blown. If anything it made for better stealth because they can attack loudly without immediately causing a stir.
As soon as they left that point of interest, they stealthily observed their surroundings. Spotting a vantage point they quickly rushed over to secure it, this was a good spot to pick out would-be threats when they will eventually go towards their goal.
Meteorite fired the first shot, taking out the head of the three-man squad and in their disarray ran away to hopefully contact the main group. It was hard to hit the two of them with one shot however, but Jessica saw a red glint in their path. Taking the chance she fired at it instead causing the target to explode with a thundering crackle, taking out the two targets.
Jessica breathed a sigh of relief, the teachings Ms. Platinum parted to them while training proved their worth. "Look at your surroundings, if you can hit three people with one arrow there is no reason as to why you shouldn't aim there."
The first lesson was to calm down during combat but that's a given.
0o0
"You look like hell Doctor." Hoshiguma frankly said as she fixed some files, they were waiting for Ch'en's meeting to be done before discussing what to do given that before they couldn't act because they lacked information.
Vacation aside, the key remains at large.
The Doctor chuckled, in his opinion he met someone from that place a while ago. It's not like Amiya was any better from what it looked, he wondered where he had been but based on how Amiya clutched that Jack plushie in her hand...he had an idea.
"Hope it didn't took too long, department meeting took longer than expected." Ch'en entered her office, stretching her arms she was a bit sore after sitting in that desk dealing with matters unrelated to Reunion's plan of attack.
Amiya reassured her that it was fine, then they briefly discussed the current development with the whole Reunion issue. Even while they were temporarily absent from Lungmen, scout teams were working day and night to search any Reunion hideouts that the LGD alone couldn't locate.
While she sat down on her desk, the Doctor caught a glimpse of a teddy bear in her pocket. He did not make a point to ask her about it, that's better saved for a more private conversation.
Some squads sent drones of their own or went on foot, since fighting Reunion means that they are nearby after all. It's like a game of Cops and Robbers to an extent yet the search was more nuance than a simple game.
"Talulah probably said that they suffered much loss for a simple mission and bought us some time..."
That's what the Doctor would have thought of anyways, he was going to ask as to how she managed to delay her organization's plans but that bastard had to take control again somehow.
Ch'en doesn't really know if she should feel relieved that Reunion activity died down while the events at Siesta took place or feel insulted that they thought the event was more of a priority than challenging the LGD. Either way it lined up perfectly and scored her much needed RnR, so she would keep her thoughts inside.
"Recently however we discovered an infiltration channel here at Lungmen and with the squads stationed to attack her defenses it all comes down to whether or not we can spare resources in both getting the key or fending them off." Amiya did not like this, even after their effort to repel Reunion before they were still caught in a Catch-22.
The only solution was to take the fight back to Chernobog.
"No arguments there." The Doctor piped in, while they were discussing a plan of action he was reading through old archived Ursus newspapers, "It would be better to get that key, Lungmen can handle a few insurgents attacking but something a weapon laden in Chernobog I don't think so."
Ch'en and Amiya nodded, after making it set that going to the fallen city would be the best way to go about things she suddenly got a call from her phone.
"I have to take this." Ch'en and the Doctor went silent, "Amiya here."
The voice on the other side of the phone was relieved, "Ah...Amiya, it's Jessica here."
Amiya took notice of the low voice the Feline was making, they do have a stealth mission in progress she in turn lowered her voice.
"The sub-city ruins...we found two of the Reunion leaders..."
0o0
In the smoldering ruins of the fallen city one could see smoke rise to the sky, ever since the dawn of the printing press men loved to congregate and burn works that hey feel disgusted at. Evolution to the benefits of free-thinking were considered sacrilege to the institution before.
Yet, this burning was a silent endeavor.
A pale child watched the embers burn CDs and any of the paraphernalia that he could get his hands-on, he looked at the burning pile with an empty look in his eyes.
"Aww, did last week's little show bummed you out?" A Sarkaz woman teased the boy, her tail flutter pleasingly as the normally mad child looked paler ever since that day.
"Silence, you stray." He replied with vitriol in his words.
"Stray? Cute words for a guy who doing his first ever big boy mission." W taunted the boy who dared not to look at her, much preferring to witness the flames burn what he thought was a rock to his ideals, "I already did my part and more, how else would those guys be trying to deal with us now?"
The Sarkaz was damn good at blindsiding the chumps at the LGD and the young blood at Rhodes Island, even more so that it ain't a lethal way to deal with the pest problem Chernobog experiences now and then otherwise the Doctor would throw a hissyfit at her doing her job.
Does she care, definitely not but she would take the Doctor's company over this little harbinger of death wannabe any day and that says a lot.
"Well junior, how's the ol funeral pyre coming along?"
"I said be quiet bitch!" Mephisto turned around to the Sarkaz girl this time, rage filled his eyes as he looked at the woman not too disturbed by what he realized.
W wasn't pleased with the outburst however, "Hey, don't take out your broken heart on me, then again I'm probably the only person you could use as an emotional punching bag." The little bird would never survive expressing this frustration to anyone other than her, she might as well ask for a raise because she has to babysit on top of her usual mercenary duties.
It was a hoot to W when she saw the realization on their faces when her fellow leaders saw Hood's face on TV. As expected Crownslayer was the most normal of them, she went blank for a solid hour but was functional after the event, Faust was unperturbed as well, clearly showing who was the man in the duo's relationship in W's eyes.
Mephisto on the other hand was catatonic, he did love music and singing after all and a band whose songs contain rebelliousness in it. It was naturally for him to be invested, hell the kid was hoping that they were secretly Infected, why else would they speak directly to his soul.
Oh, the irony.
"If you want to do something about it, step away from the fire." W didn't mind the brooding commander's behavior and she might collect some of that ash for some cheap explosives but duty calls, "Oh and if you care enough now they took the bait, got them running off like a goose without heads."
W sighed and sported a more devilish smile, "It's all up to Old Man Patriot to bring the real thing."
After a moment of silence, she smirked and look at the distraught Liberi with a devilish yet knowing grin,
"Oh yeah speaking of him, you're terrified of him right especially after doing that to those poor st-"
"One more word and I will..." Mephisto hesitated on finishing his sentence, the boy was clearly terrified even at the idea of angering this Patriot figure. All that matters is that the trap they've set up was sprung, so he buried his frustration with a breath of restraint and looked at his current objective.
"That doesn't really matter either way...after all before we reel in the big one."
"We have to take care of the small fry first." Mephisto looked over to the side with a maniacal smile, "Come out Rhodes Island, in my presence there's no way for you to-"
Mephisto was suddenly cut off by a clink of metal in his proximity, wide-eyed he dived to the ground and into some rubble for protection as a grenade exploded near them.
The guests that he was referring to where no nowhere to be found, however he did hear footsteps in that direction as the smoke cleared. The deathly pale boy looked unfettered by the quick attempt on his life and dusted off the soot and dust his uniform had.
"Now where are they..." He looked at his right and called for some of his men, "Do you mind going after those small fry for me?"
The trio ran across the ruined city taking down enemies as well as making a path for them to take. Jessica used her Smokescreen sparingly only to elude high-risk foes and make the accuracy of the enemy weaker, she was calmer than what she was before but her instincts still kicked her fight-or-flight response.
Meteorite was in charge of crowd control, both tasked with taking down the hordes of drones after them as well as the Reunion soldiers coming straight towards them, if a bigger enemy is approaching she's in charge of dispatching them with her firepower.
"What were you thinking Jessica!" Meteorite shouted as they fought to escape now that their mission was compromised.
Jessica on the other hand was focused on shooting down Reunion soldiers with as little delay from the shot to the reload time, she already emptied two magazines from taking down a dozen or so Reunion hostiles, "They already saw us, we have to make a diversion somehow."
"Fair point, but it could have been a bluff for all we know." Frostleaf swung her axe to a soldier in front of her and seeing a Caster direct its attention to Meteorite fired off a Tomahawk towards them.
Frostleaf hummed a familiar song while fighting, as it helps her get into a mood and calms her down a bit and even though she was a mercenary these people are the kind that unnerved even the seasoned. She was the more versatile combatant of the small group, able to take the fight to the front while also having the ability to attack at a distance with her ARTS.
Bullets, bolts, and tomahawks were barraged towards the incoming enemies, even as three operators they proved to be quite the threat.
Yet, the horde kept on moving towards them.
"What the...we just defeated them!" They were like puppets on strings, each and every one rushed towards with a vengeful fervor. Jessica stood firm, she couldn't fall like this after the time she spent in fostering her confidence it would be an insult to her friends that went out of their way to help her.
A cackle reverberated through the area with clapping accompanying it, Mephisto looked over the horde he was commanding with satisfied glee, "Not anymore you did, such a shame that this all the fight you can muster. I haven't even went inside myself."
Things weren't looking good, their attacks were moot and the enemy had more people to spare. Furthermore they themselves aren't doing fine on the ammunition department, Meteorite only has enough for one shot.
Mephisto chuckled seeing Meteorite hesitating to shoot when she had a clear shot at him, "What's wrong you won't have any other chance to kill me you know."
Ammo was running low, there were too many enemies for them to handle. If any of them die here then Rhodes Island would lose a critical piece on their side. Every Operator should at least be taking down seventy more of the enemy and even for a recon mission they are in the danger of failing.
What would the Doctor do in this situation? Frostleaf thought, she heard of the man's exploits and how the man made Reunion flee when he returned. The man was a tactical genius before awakening to that power of his so if he was in this situation how would he turn this around? In those few precious seconds of pondering she looked over everything she knew about battle and tactics and even with the risk she had to take this course.
They need a turnabout sooner than later.
"Shoot at the crumbling building Meteorite." Frostleaf insisted, with dread in her skin crawling she urged Jessica to retreat, the Sarkaz Sniper protested at the idea but fired her bolt regardless.
Debris fell from high and threatened to flatten anyone there into a pancake, this makeshift blockade prevented Reunion from their continued pursuit.
Pleased by the temporary delay, she once again urged the group to continue their retreat with her voice laced with fear, Frostleaf said to her group: "We don't have time they're coming..."
"Who's coming?" The Sarkaz didn't like the sound her chilly co-worker made, but she trusted her teammate's judgment.
"The yetis..." A chill run through the fox girl's spine, the least that she could do is relay this information to the others, "Amiya...you must not go into this sub-city..."
She braced for the worst as she can feel the temperature in this fiery landscape lower.
0o0
That was not a good sign, hearing a seasoned mercenary like Frostleaf warn her about the danger of the place they are planning to go through.
Another call from her communication device came, this time it was from the 2nd Squad.
"Amiya! This is the 2nd Squad!" A Guard Operator panted out, sounds of battle echoing on their end, "We're currently retreating but Reunion-" Then the call just got cut off.
Amiya then quickly contacted the 3rd squad, demanding to know what's happening but also anxious of their safety, three missed calls afterwards there was still no signal.
They could only hope that it was the result of a communication jam, the Doctor gripped his fist in frustration and stood up and called in some contacts of his own.
"Requesting Lancet-2 to deliver my equipment at these coordinates." On the other side he can hear Closure already preparing the Medic, "Add in your new creations as well as some of the special drugs we've have in stock."
"I already have Hibiscus and Cardigan on that Doctor, "Kal'tsit piped in from Amiya's device, "As for the squads, I've been continuously monitoring them from the bridge so have the Doctor use a small Persona of some kind when you get there."
Kal'tsit sighed with a tired voice, as behind the scenes of work she has to admit that Ch'en isn't as inflexible as her boss' protocol but professionalism comes first and frankly she's getting tired of tip-toeing around Lungmen's reluctance to accept assistance.
"How long does Lungmen plan on staying dumb?"
"I'll pretend to ignore that, besides we are going there regardless of the mission's intentions." Ch'en bit her lip for some reason. She took her weapon from the rack in her office not before putting away the files that she already got through.
It was a much bigger stack of papers compared to what the Doctor gets through during the day.
"Paperwork, ugh..."
"Oh please, you can finish that high of a stack with your stupid "Third Eye."" Kal'tsit growled with a hint of childish envy while she did not mind as much as she should, the man would occasionally drop in to "pester" her when he gets done with the papers for the day.
Hoshiguma returned to the office with a small stack of papers on her muscular arms seemingly a bit perplexed at the serious look at the trio's eyes. Then she noticed Ch'en's weapons strapped on to her person.
"Oh, a mission?" Her superior nodded and the bulky Oni set down the forms she picked up and went to get her reliable shield which was resting near the office wall. Hoshiguma doesn't leave Hannya out of her sight often.
"Pretty much, us four will be enough since it would take time for our squads to mobilize." Ch'en explained as fastened her boots, "Hey Doc, can you speed us up for a bit?"
With the sound of a mask shattering the Doctor invoked his power, "Will do, Masukukaja."
The familiar figure of a snow fairy now with armor gleefully doused all four of them in green energy and all of them felt lighter. Without a word the Doctor opened the window with Amiya already on his back.
"What are you doing!?" Ch'en and Hoshiguma screamed out as the two were about to jump tot he window.
"No offense but going down the stairs is too slow." Before Hoshiguma could stop them, the two Rhodes Islanders jumped from the building. They looked down preparing for the worst, only to see the Doctor with Amiya on his back quickly descending with his grappling hook like some sort of superhero.
Ch'en couldn't help but be jealous at the man's acrobatics, even though watching the Doctor's arms carry so much tension in them makes her wince.
"He'll make for a great stuntman if he decides to quit being Hood." The gentle Oni joked while still being impressed, her assessment of the man was pretty accurate, "Hey, Madame Ch'en we should probably..."
"Yeah, let's move..."
They still had to take the elevator even with the juice up the Doctor gave them.
0o0
The darkened sky painted a bleak picture in Chernobog, scattered rubble and ash fluttered along the dreary winds. The four were displeased with what became of this region of the land, and to think that this is the place Skullshatterer wanted to bring Misha towards.
"Ursus just decided to abandon this city?" Hoshiguma raised an eyebrow, the Oni was no politician she was a servant and protector of the people so the very idea of abandoning the residents and their homes was an affront to her duty.
However, the nation indeed just left the populace to its own devices after Reunion's assault. Nobles and commoners alike all baptized in the flames of rage that this group lit. Reunion did not even have the decency to clean their newly acquired territory for there are still some stains of blood and the occasional severed limb.
That doesn't change the fact that this Reunion stronghold is dangerously close to Lungmen.
"If Skullshatterer was taking commands here then this place is something we can't ignore." Hoshiguma noted, however while there is still something odd about the placement of this city there was something off about the state of the place, "Still, from the looks of it the destruction looks man-made..."
Hoshiguma was right it shouldn't be the case, based on the observational data Amiya had received the change only occurred after Catastrophe happened. Catastrophe destruction is wilder and indiscriminate but the damage in the subsection of this city was deliberate.
"This place is crawling with Reunion..." The Doctor weakly sighed, "If we didn't have speed on our side getting here would take so much time." That didn't stop the enemy from trying to chase after but somehow they stopped chasing the four after they passed by some strange ice.
"They aren't that important they don't even have communication devices, they're more like a bunch of poorly-organized thugs than an actual unit." The Oni patted the Doctor's shoulder, "They're vultures."
As the three discussed on a way to mobilize, Ch'en was observing her surroundings more than them. Readying her mind even at the slightest sign of an ambush
I didn't expect you to be here...
The familiar voice echoed in her ears, without even uttering a single word she rushed through that sound.
"Ch'en!?" Hoshiguma exclaimed, "Hey, where are you going!?"
The dragon lady did not answer, she kept running like her life depended on chasing after the source of that voice. It was a faint whisper that compelled her to move.
"Damn it, we need to follow her!" The Doctor took out his hooksword and the saw the enemies on the path ahead, this was definitely a trap and his feet compelled him to retreat.
Yet as they ran towards Ch'en's direction and as they see her fight off enemies like they were obstacles, he ran forward anyway. The tactical mind for once clashed with his heart as a doctor, a protector and also a friend.
Amiya took cover behind Hoshiguma's giant shield with the Oni's weapon whirring loudly like a saw, the bunny girl fired bolts of ARTS at the enemies firing their own ranged attacks. While the big LGD Defender was taking the brunt of the frontal assault she noticed the unusual color of the slugs emerging from their holes.
"Mind the slugs! These are the kind that are volatile!" Amiya advised, steering clear of said living explosive herself she picked them off from afar as to not hit anybody else.
The Doctor however had a different idea, with the ever familiar crack of a mask he called out,
"Ophiuchus!" The starry Persona was still an object of awe and fear towards foe and friend alike, the Persona picked up the slugs and chucked them at the enemy as they only explode as a strange form of a postmortem spasm.
It pays to hang out with an explosives expert.
"Retreat, retreat don't let that thing get a hold of the sl-" The enemy's pleas were cut short by the Doctor climbing to the rooftop that they were at, but from above the Doctor saw a Reunion squad running behind them and another opportunity,
"Amiya! Blast that water tank behind you!"
Amiya nodded and shot her ARTS from what he was referring to and the horde of Reunion chasing them, but as the group got near them the Doctor descended.
"Electric Cord!"
The Doctor's grappling hook attached itself to the wet area, and by sending a current towards it. The victims of it couldn't help but be shocked and awed.
0o0
It did not took long for their squads to arrive in time after carving through Reunion's defenses, yet...
"Still no sign of Ch'en?" The Doctor asked, fiddling with his equipment and refilling his upgraded grappling hook's new features.
As he said that Hoshiguma's phone repeated the same message, "Uhuh, didn't even answer her phone...she's always like this." The dragon lady always does this when she's busy, the two had to learn that the hard way.
"Figured as much, even my own searching didn't yield any results." The Doctor dismissed Pixie after doing what she was summoned here for, "Oh thanks for holding back your Persona there Amiya."
Amiya smiled at the praise, "Oh I figured using Miseria was unnecessary at the moment, still this situation is a real mess..."
The leader of the L.G.D ran off to god knows where, and they still have a few Rhodes Island personnel unaccounted for. Frostleaf, Meteorite and Jessica where still out there fighting the good fight, the Doctor clenched his fists in anger with Amiya looking over him with understanding.
Hoshiguma sighed heavily as she prepared her shield once more, "L.G.D all members prepare to follow me-"
"There's no need Inspector Hoshiguma." Amiya interjected, "I insist that you should let us handle it, we are entering the Originium-dense zones left in the wake of the Catastrophe. If you go any further then you will put yourselves at risk of getting Oripathy, these risks are far too dire. Furthermore as Infected we-"
"Hah, given your stature it's cute when you try to give serious speeches." The Oni lady chuckled, her statement caught Amiya off-guard with the Cautus' face developing into a reddish hue, "Hahahaha, sorry I was giving you a hard time. It's ok you don't have to persuade me I understand your concerns."
Hoshiguma raised her shield and buried it into the concrete and bellowed out, "L.G.D! We will be Rhodes Island's shield!" Then the giant of a woman ordered her men to their respective perimeters, "Block the entrance, don't let a single Reunion member enter or exit, if they decide to attack show them that are badges aren't just for show!"
"Sir yes sir!"
She looked over the two leaders of Rhodes, "We'll handle this to you experts, so promise me you'll bring Ch'en back in one piece."
"Inspector Hoshiguma..."
"Drop the Inspector, just call me Hoshiguma after all we're not just co-workers we're also friends right?" The larger woman smiled reassuringly at the small bunny girl recalling the times that the four hang out after work.
"Yeah, of course...Hoshiguma we'll make sure Madam Ch'en comes back safe." Amiya nodded with gratitude and looked over the Doctor who gave Hoshiguma his thanks and a nod.
"Rhodes Island, move out!"
0o0
Fallen Reunion members were all but scattered around the battlefield, some suffered bullet wounds while others were met with a devastating bolt. Some of the fallen even had frost layered onto their wounds.
There was no doubt that the three that they were supposed to rescue were nearby.
The Doctor even noted on the quality of the shots the enemies had received, Jessica was really improving as an Operator.
"Amiya." Kal'tsit's voice emerged from the communication channel, "All recon squads sans Frostleaf's were extracted thankfully we did not suffer any casualties."
Kal'tsit then sent some images of the wounds the other Operators received to the two, the numbness of the skin and the thick sheet of ice layered in some of them was a ghastly sight, if it weren't for the Doctor dealing similar wounds to their enemies before.
"Frostbite!?" Amiya was still alarmed by the severity of some these pictures, even the Doctor's ice wasn't that merciless when it hurts others.
"Yes, all our recon squads encountered this group and based on those pictures they experienced their power through varying levels of severity..." Kal'tsit then sent more visual data on the enemies they fought, "They are an actual squad of fighters unlike the Reunion members that were more crazed than composed, exercise caution from here on."
Kal'tsit focused her words on the Doctor now, "Thanks to our recon squads the enemy was forced to show some of their cards, you on the other hand should keep yours hidden. Be wise with your Persona usage and keep "that" ability as an ace."
"I understand, I wanted to tell Ch'en about that actually but she ran off..."
"I see..." Kal'tsit expressed her own concern for the young dragon in her own Kal'tsit way, "One last thing Amiya..."
"Yeah?"
"Mind the rings and keep that Persona of yours hidden for the time being." The communication got cut off but Kal'tsit had other things to do like check on the recon squads who got blasted with ice.
The air suddenly felt heavy, yet the Doctor did not even flinch as unlike before he was a stumbling amnesiac who got roped into this battle.
Amiya did not even need her claws to tear apart these thugs to shreds, she wasn't the unsure girl that was desperate to reunite with the man standing beside her.
Reunion soldiers slowly appeared from every conceivable entry point they could emerge from, thinking that Rhodes Island bit through their little trap. They failed to realize however that their enemy wasn't trapped with them, Reunion was trapped with their enemy.
"Meteor, I want you at point B4 take Ansel with you and focus on shattering their defenses."
The Kuranta obliged at began taking in assigned point on the map along with effeminate Cautus Medic,
"Zima and Courier be the vanguard at point C3 and D4 respectively, this is your moment to take vengeance Zima so show them how a true Ursus' roars!"
With a warrior's grin Zima ran through the enemy forces with her axe and let out a howl, striking fear through Reunion's hearts as they faced this monster of a girl.
"Hibiscus go support them at E4, all of you focus on Reunion I'll handle the exploding slugs and if you can't keep up focus on retreating!" The Doctor commanded, they had a limited few handling the skirmish so if he can't show his cards just yet then he'll just capitalize on what he had already revealed.
He can feel the terror in some of them as Ophiuchus' visage froze them in their tracks.
Zima enjoyed delivering justice to the monsters that dare put her and friends into that hell they walked out of, even if it all happened regardless of their interference. Reunion was still the catalyst of the madness that erupted afterwards that day. They did not care of the aftermath of the chaos they created and relished in their self-serving ideals, they remind her of the nobles that she fought against.
To think that these cretins would crumple oh so easily like paper when met with her weapon, it angered her that these lowlifes are what Reunion was made of. All of her comrades made sacrifices and tore each other apart by the whims of these losers?
"Take me on, you bastards!"
General Zima invited them to fight, determined to honor the deaths of her friends especially that young girl Sonia; she died so the general could take up her axe once more; so with a roar once more, General Zima will show them how she earned her rank.
0o0
Advancing northbound, Amiya's party staved off attacks from all around. The Doctor used his unique sense of the battlefield to maneuver them out of it, employing a vigilant way of advancing through the enemy forces. They were not there to defeat Reunion after all, this was a rescue mission and needless combat should be kept at a minimum.
However, the further they went inside the belly of the beast an off scent permeated throughout it. It was like they were going down the stomach towards the metaphorical esophagus. Combusting strange materials tend to leave a distinct but sometimes horrible stench and yet this was not only putrid but also horrific.
Bolts of ARTS went towards Amiya but its path was blocked by a mighty glacier erupting like a shield.
"What kind of ARTS was that!?" The Caster was befuddled with their limited knowledge, it was unnerving that such power was used so freely. It was all fine however, as long as they don't know where the attack came from.
Yet as they rationalized their safety frost covered the Caster, they were silenced by the intense chill of the strange ARTS. Was this the same person who blocked their attack?
"Hey, what's wrong!?" The soldier beside them asked, not noticing the shadow nearby.
"They can't answer you at the moment." Before the soldier could ask the voice or even register the presence of another person, the shadow's axe was raised yet two icicles sent the two towards them. The Doctor returned fire after their attempt at Amiya's life.
Not one to turn a free follow-up attack, the shadow raised their axe.
Amiya narrowed down the possible trajectory of the assailant's ARTS and along with the Doctor pursued them with record-breaking speed, scaling the vantage point with the grapple on his wrist. As they reached the target however somebody else had gotten to them.
"Wait...is that..." The familiar ARTS gave away who did this, "Frostleaf, is that you?"
Frostleaf breathed a sigh of relief from having been found, "I've taken care of the enemy, however I have to thank the Doctor for the follow-up."
"Oh, good to know my Bufulas didn't miss." The Doctor drank some weird drink to replenish his reserves and offered a drink for Frostleaf, "Need a drink? It might not be cold but I can always chill it."
The Vulpo mercenary declined his offer but thanked him for the thought regardless, "You need those more than me Doctor." Downtrodden, she looked towards Amiya, "I'm sorry for making you worry Amiya."
"Ugh..." She struggled to keep herself standing, the adrenaline from fighting earlier wore off. Without hesitation the Doctor used Diarama on the wounded Frostleaf. On closer inspection, the duo noticed the girl's wounds were the same as the other recon squads.
Frostbite.
The Doctor changed his current Persona, it should be fine given that there were no enemies nearby. Calling out Parvati, the beautiful goddess enveloped Frostleaf with a green aura, "Don't worry about the cost, Baisudi is pretty cheap." The Doctor quickly changed back to Ophiuchus after seeing the frostbite fade away with the wounded Vulpo giving him a non-verbal thanks.
"Still, what happened there Frostleaf?" It would be a huge help if they had information on the enemies they fought, ice is as difficult to fight against as fire and if a squad of them is among Reunion's ranks. Amiya figured that future encounters would be even more difficult.
Frostleaf felt like a new fox after the medical care the Doctor provided her, it beats the first aid she had to endure before that's for sure, she stood up and gave her squad's current status.
"Meteorite and Jessica should be safe down at the main square, I'm not sure for how long though. I managed to lure them out so Reunion hasn't found them yet." The duo prepared for a fight behind them but Frostleaf reassured them, "Our cover hasn't been blown yet but he's going to come soon..."
As if on cue, a shaky and crazed voice echoed throughout the vicinity, "Hey little fox, where are you..?" The voice was youthful yet sounded like it was filtered through a broken flute then a wood chipper.
"Our little game of hide and seek is about to come to an end." The voice echoed malevolence, "The more the timer ticks, the more fingers we break from one of your little friends~"
It was like a more insane version of a childish threat, all heat yet no gravitas. That is what Mephisto is to Rhodes Island. Amiya held herself back from the bluff he spouted, it was obviously a trap no matter how much she wanted to cave in the mad-child's skull.
Frostleaf was pleased by this from the look of her face, they decided to ignore the kid and focused on more pressing matters. Mephisto is a nobody compared to the squadron that dealt these types of injuries to the whole of the reconnaissance unit.
"We really have to hurry and reconvene with the other two." The Doctor added as he tried to contact the two discreetly, a special channel he reserved for Associates with Closure's assistance. The communication line should be irretrievable by any Reunion scanner since the current was laced with the same energy as Personas and items related to them.
Yet, there was no signal.
"Jessica's communication gear must have been damaged during a skirmish or after I left them." Frostleaf surmised then sighed as she took out her own, "I can't contact any of them too, since my communicator is well..."
Coated in frost, the cold device had the chilly wind tear it apart from the inside.
"This Yeti Squadron, what exactly are they?" Amiya was both at awe and a little unsettled by the aftermath of the Vulpo's encounter.
"We don't have time to explain but knowing what you saw so far, I'm sure you have a grasp on the enemy's abilities."
Their namesake alone gave it away, they are a squad that specializes in fighting within a cold environment. They have the means of carrying that advantage with them and they are pretty adept in ice-based ARTS. A shame that the Doctor has yet to have a Persona that nullifies Ice.
"Yeah, you're right. We have to go south quickly." The Doctor had Pixie do a routine scan around the perimeter immediately after realizing the communications were down. "You need to rest your legs for a while so go on my back Frostleaf."
"I'm fine really..." Frostleaf insisted as she prepared her weapon for combat, "We might have to take them out on our route before they discover us."
However, there was no need. The Doctor narrowed down a good route that would take them towards Meteorite and Jessica without alerting anybody in the vicinity, provided that they sneak around of course.
It will take some time but combat takes even more.
0o0
The trio arrived at the area the Doctor scouted stumbling onto strange statue-like objects charred into black. Paying no heed to it, they instead chose to wonder as to why Meteorite was not present in the spot the Doctor said she was.
If the familiar feeling of being watched was to tell them it was because...
"We know it's you Meteorite, hold your fire." Frostleaf sighed a breath of relief and out came the blonde Sarkaz with her lowered crossbow.
Meteorite had minor scrapes and bruises on her thighs and arms, she was a Sarkaz after all. Her race is more adept at taking a beating they weren't the Oni but they were no slouches in durability.
Regardless of that, the Doctor still cured her injuries easily.
"Amiya, Doctor it's so good to see you two..." She felt more relieved to see their cute bunny girl for a boss than the healer of a tactician but he didn't hold it against her. He was just happy that any of the Operators were alright after going into the heart of the beast. Yet Meteorite's gaze sharpened with disappointment.
"Although, you two really shouldn't have come...this was a trap."
"Oh, we know." The Doctor said nonchalantly, "They aim to lure in Amiya and even the LGD by trying to capture any of our recon squads."
"Then why-" Meteorite was astonished by how the renowned tactical mind was both aware that they sprung a trap and what Reunion aims to accomplish with it. Yet they did so regardless with Amiya agreeing with him.
"That said, we wouldn't come to a trap if we didn't have a proper way to disarm it." The Doctor called out Ophiuchus and quickly dismissed him after having Meteorite take in his figure, "Still, even without it Amiya and I couldn't leave you guys."
Actually the Doctor thought of the situation to be too perfect of a circumstance for Reunion, why not kill any of the recon squads they have caught? After they get out of this, he should share his thoughts with the LGD.
Frostleaf agreed, "There's no point in blaming them now, the Doctor has a plan and Amiya couldn't leave us. Besides even if everyone else doesn't think you can rescued, she won't ever give up."
"I wasn't blaming them, it's just..." Meteorite didn't have the heart to finish that statement, "I'm sorry you two and especially you Amiya..."
"It's alright, we're just glad that all of you are safe." Yet, the trio looked over to see the other Operator's condition.
There was Jessica, shivering and groaning. Her shivers worsened anytime she hears footsteps and Reunion members shouting, being a Feline her improved hearing just made things worse for her.
"She's still in shock..." Meteorite explained, who could blame the girl really. She worked as security, the people she fought against before were criminals yes, but the conflict was mundane in comparison. Jessica felt like she was participating in a warzone, the enemy more animal than man. They had every intention of leaving her and her friends as a bloody smear on the ruined concrete of Chernobog.
How did Amiya and the Doctor lived through this hell and decided to go back in?
"Originally, I wanted to wait for her to get better but..." Her Sarkaz companion began, "She's definitely traumatized."
The flame-soaked battlefield, the insane commanders, the enemy forces. After getting a taste of what Reunion is like it was the most natural and human reaction to it all. Yet, while the four ladies tried to rationalize Reunion's state the Doctor could only wonder on what happened.
How was this sea of flames birthed from the kind spark of Talulah? In what way is this her wish?
Amiya reached out towards Jessica's crumpled figure and called out to Frostleaf, "This is all I can do for now, Frostleaf do me a favor." Amiya motioned for her to put both of Jessica's hands on Amiya's arm, then for her to grasp Jessica's fingers tight.
"I want to help to out too." The Doctor insisted, whatever Amiya is doing he wanted to contribute to it. It broke his heart to see a friend like this, even the confidence they bolstered during training crumbled when facing them. He relented from blaming himself once more for her current state, it was after all an unrealistic burden he would have put on himself.
Amiya nodded and motioned for him to do grasp Frostleaf and Jessica's hands, and after doing so she focused on her power.
Memories flushed in Amiya's mind, assorted landscapes and key moments were being shown. However, she knew that they were clogging her vision; they existed to keep her away from reaching Jessica. With every memory however, she felt the same emotions that they were laced with.
All the joy and all the sorrow, Amiya took it all. She was not used to doing this all she knew was she able to use this strange power, as a result of her inexperience the pain was ear-biting.
"Amiya!"
"I'm fine...it's just such deep sorrow!"
Eventually, all of it faded away and like a television screen it suddenly blacked out.
Yet, like a television screen you still have to turn it on again.
Within her mind, all Amiya could see was a deep white and behind her was an infinite darkness. She knew this and that abyss tickled her metaphysical form, she was more focused on looking for their lost friend.
"It's a bit vague but..." There was Jessica, closing her eyes and in a fetal position with her pistol floating around like a nucleus to an electron.
She called out to the weakened Feline, she did not possess a physical form in the realm of the mind after all. All Amiya could be was a guiding voice, after all her friend has yet to acknowledge her presence.
"It's all right Jessica, you have to be strong Jessica." Amiya found it a bit humorous to be the helpful voice in someone's side for once, with her Persona being her guide through this chaos. The vast sea of one's soul, was this the same place as what the Doctor was tapping into?
Those words were enough for Jessica to open her soul's eyes, "Amiya?"
With that single call for her name, her cognition shifted and Amiya manifested a physical form no longer being a phantom whispering her encouragement.
"I'm here."
"Amiya...Amiya..." Amiya embraced Jessica's mindscape self and reassured her.
"There...there everything will be okay."
White became black in an instant, yet the darkness was now a comforting blanket.
Returning to reality, Jessica found herself staring back at four other people looking at her in concern.
"Jessica, are you okay?" Meteorite, ever the kind big sister figure called out to her. To answer her question, Jessica slowly unraveled her enclosed from, facing them with a downtrodden face.
"Amiya...what was I..." She wasn't even aware that she went catatonic after that encounter, "I'm so sorry...I didn't realize...I didn't think that..."
Amiya shushed her lips and nodded, "It's fine...I also know what it feels like..." She recalled every single painful memory in her short life, how the Doctor was taken away from them. How their encounter with Talulah and Skullshatterer's Shadow went. But most of all was the look on the Doctor's face as his first awakened, the manic glee in his face as he reveled in the wrathful ice he created.
"Wanting to run but growing horrified that my legs refused to move, wishing to scream only to find my voice silent in despair, I understand what you've been through Jessica...I've been there too."
Jessica was silent at her confession, yet she took it all in like a sponge.
"Try standing up." Amiya did not extend her hand she knows that she could do it on her own, "You don't have to afraid anymore. Because we're all together now and we'll always be there for you." The cat girl just needed a few words of encouragement.
"Let's go back to Rhodes Island together, Franka and Liskarm are waiting for you."
Jessica swallowed all her fears and faced her friend with a determined look, after all if nothing else she must come back alive.
"Mhm!" That was more like it, that was the look that the Doctor saw when they practiced together.
Still, they were witnesses to Amiya's power. Out of respect as well as Amiya's insistence they kept it secret.
"I'm surprised Kal'tsit doesn't know this..." Eh who is this the Doctor to judge, after all if they were aware of some of his Associates, he might get one of those "lectures" the other medical staff feared from the lynx.
His bond with Amiya was strong enough that not even secrets could warp it.
0o0
While all is well and good for now, they wondered was to what could have made Jessica the way she was. It couldn't have been simple combat and malicious intent from their troops because prior missions left her untouched.
It was also obvious to them that Meteorite's mind was not in a happy place either.
They have to escape quickly, but with all those soldiers roaming about in the field routes are ever so slim. Not to mention the roaring fires and the abominable stench that smoke exudes.
With Mephisto just around the corner it was pretty damn hard to escape Reunion's vigilant eye.
"How long are going to keep hiding, Rhodes Island insects!?" He bellowed out, fed up with his little game taking too long. He persistently ordered his men to search their whereabouts but there was no results. Yet even with the futility, he smirked evilly.
The Doctor and Amiya were internally debating on just jumping on him and lackeys. They had the power after all, but the knowledge of their abilities would make Rhodes Island a bigger target than Lungmen if they go all out.
Disappointed that his guests were insisted in hiding in his home, he clapped his hands as if he was ready to perform in stage.
"Aww, you still refuse to come out." His shrill voice despondently uttered, "You really thought that we won't see your reinforcements come?"
Even with that declaration they still refused to show themselves. Amiya refused to give him the satisfaction of being right.
"Oh well, either way I have something to show you all especially to my new idols." Mephisto laughed madly and every breath of air exuded malice.
"Looking back...we already planned on taking over Chernobog from the very beginning. We waited and waited for so long...and finally our time has come." The Doctor couldn't help but wonder if he was practicing this spiel just for them and if he should be flattered or not, "The moment to take our revenge against Ursus and against those who persecute the Infected."
"However, even though we accomplished our goal what ever happened to the people of this sub-city?" Mephisto rhetorically asked, "Naturally, they ran. Ran as far they can, they all had pretty quick reaction to our mission for a bunch of civilians. They disconnected themselves before we could take action."
That last bit struck as something odd to the duo of leaders and to the blonde Sarkaz, it was very unlike of Ursus to initiate a deterrent rather than shut down any sign if dissent.
"Yet, where do they hope to escape to?" Dread filled through the air as he hanged that question in the air, "Our comrades already permeated through the district waiting for their opportunity to strike."
Mephisto smiled in glee at the memories, "In the end, we caught up to them and gave them the punishment they deserve!" Oh how they cried for help as they were massacred by his brethren, how one of them begged for his life as he offered up his possessions. The tears of despair as families were ruined, abusers were split open, and societal parasites were robbed of every limb and every cent they held how sweet they must have tasted.
"These cowards, these perpetrators; what are we to do with them?" They wondered if Reunion was that heartless that an entire sub-city population was eradicated just because of the Infected's rage.
Yet, even that sounded like mercy compared to what came next.
"Well we made an example out of them! A proclamation that all injustices towards the Infected would be purged from this world, by the very strands of our being...yes that is the symbol of our glorious Reunion Movement."
Dark skies grow ever darker as Mephisto brought forth a nightmare on earth.
"Let them all turn into effigies of terror, one by one!"
Indescribable items were brought out one by one, yet the Doctor had a horrible feeling in his gut. He could only look back at the meeting with the mad snake manipulating Talulah's body, was that thing the mentor of this demented psycho?
"You, set that nearby effigy on flames! Let there be light!" His men were also drunk on the same madness he was decadent in indulging. They set the strange objects ablaze and the familiar and horrible scent permeated through the vicinity just after it died down.
"Yes, let us light this entire city! Let us show Rhodes Island what happens all our cowardly oppressors!"
The Doctor couldn't cover Amiya's eyes not now after all they have seen, they already saw depravity in its most putrid form yet nothing could compare to the spectacle they were about to see now. However, he knows that Amiya would rather see this horror than to turn away from it.
"What are you doing Doctor, Amiya shouldn't-" Meteorite tried to cover her eyes but Amiya slapped it away.
"You're always so considerate Meteorite but it's fine, this something that I need to see." Amiya firmly said, "One day, I'll hold him accountable for his actions. Besides I used to..."
The young leader of Rhodes Island gave her thanks to commander's trust, happy that he already knows what she wants to do with her power.
His faith in her was the unshakable support she needed for what she was about to witness.
As it was...
"A burning field of malevolence and madness..." Frostleaf never felt so appalled by a single group of people before, even back then she never despised an organization in her career however as of know...
This horrifying sight cemented Reunion's march towards ruin.
The effigies finally revealed what they are actually made of and the knowledge lit a flame within the Doctor and everybody's heart. The display Mephisto made for them was denouncement on the sanctity of life, and while all of them experienced and fought against deplorable people this was undoubtedly the worst.
After all what could top scorched corpses?
The innocent people of this city who had no stake in this political and societal war were killed and robbed of any dignity they had when they were murdered, looted and quite possibly summarily executed by the same people Rhodes Island wanted to help.
The stench of rotting bodies burning was nauseating from both a nasal experience and a psychological one, Amiya for one was trying her damnedest to keep her Persona from exacting her desire to punt this little bastard to the ground, forcing him to experience the same suffering those who they had slain as she slowly enacts a dark yet fitting punishment.
Jessica was distraught at the sight, no doubt she would need a talk with a psychiatrist after this but that did not deter her desire to shoot those bastards sky high. Still she was dangerously teetering on relapsing if it weren't for Meteorite and Frostleaf supporting her.
Frostleaf and Meteorite both where absolutely livid at the grandiosely macabre sight unfolding in front of them, readying their weapons and their hearts for both the catharsis of enacting justice to these innocents and the desire to end this nightmare once and for all.
Yet, the Doctor was calm; to a frightening degree. Seeing this, Amiya couldn't help but remember the first time he called upon his Persona and was worried that this will be a repeat of that. The Doctor losing himself at quite an understandable event with flaming similarities.
"How long do you intend on hiding, my dear rabbit and Doctor of Chernobog?" Mephisto called out, he knew damn well that Rhodes wouldn't turn away from this atrocity, "Did you really think that I would not see your rabble prowling earlier?"
Mephisto hand-waved towards no one in sight but he was aware they can see and hear him, "Oh well, at first I thought you were up to something but it turns out you are here to watch the show." He then twirled madly with his staff like a performer on stage, "I'm flattered that my idols would see a show from a fan like me."
"Fan?...oh no..."
They might as well come clean and show themselves at this point, Mephisto won't stop antagonizing them from afar after all. Taking steps to face him and murderous bunch Amiya was shaking.
Not out of fear but out of anger.
"Why did you do this?" It was blatantly obvious that Mephisto was the one who caused all this ritualistic massacring, W was a gun for hire and Talulah at least had the dignity of not antagonizing their enemies nor desecrating corpses so who else could it be other than Reunion's resident psychopath?
To that question, Mephisto smirked maliciously, "Why else, to control what's left. Without some terror tactics, how else are we supposed to minimize losses?" This gruesome show had a justification in his demented little head, that angered them further but that was what he was aiming for, "Make an example out of the ten percent then the ninety percent will fall in line."
Fall in line to be enslave or killed more like, the Doctor feared for the prisoners here since Talulah's body-snatcher returned and if the Ursus girls were any indication; Reunion treats prisoners with the same decency as the majority of Terra does to the people who caught the nasty rock cancer.
The madman then proudly without a hint of shame said, "This, you see, can be considered the best way of saving lives."
Amiya and the Doctor sharply glared at the little bird who dare speak of the sanctity of life, when he and his lackeys killed and tortured Chernobogians then treated their remains as fuel for their dogma. Treating them like objects or a resource to be used when the situation calls for it, like some sort of game.
The rabbit girl stepped forward once more, not before being stopped by the Doctor.
"Doctor..." Was the man still worried about her? "I am not the same person back then."
His response?
"I know." He took two steps forward, "I can tell that you always remind yourself on moving forward and not looking back. You've seen more of this world than I remember during my absence."
"Yes, I was weak and scared. So timid and fragile that I couldn't move forward without you."
"You're plenty strong on your own now that much is apparent." The Doctor looked at her and smiled, "However, just this once..."
Cold air erupted through the whole vicinity alarming Frostleaf but observing the situation now, there was nothing to fear. The sound of glass breaking was faintly heard and with it the figure beside the Doctor appeared.
It dawned on those who have not seen it before on what they were facing, and those who have were shaking in fear.
The mad bird's composure cracked like a sheet of ice on top of a cold river.
As the large icicle started to form in Ophiuchus' hands the Doctor smiled and then said,
"I'll tear this nightmare apart."
A booming sound erupted throughout Chernobog that shock waves were felt at every region of it, confusing everyone who was not present at the source for a moment.
Once the dust was settled, everyone who was there looked around at what happened and the sight before them was jaw-dropping.
The very symbol of their proclamation, pierced by the largest hunk of ice they had ever seen. The building that had the symbol emblazoned there was not even shattered by what is essentially a big bullet of ice, it was embedded like it came from a deity of the northern lands.
The hooded man's coat billowed with cold breeze, his eyes a piercing glare. This attack was a symbol of his own making or rather a pledge to Reunion, a denouncement of their warped ideology and a promise from Rhodes Island that they will "cure" them.
The massive iceberg was actually made by concentrating multiple Bufula spells then firing the mass when it reached a certain size. The stunt was still costly but nothing that he won't recover from after all unlike before he wasn't a weak Doctor who didn't have the faintest idea of fighting.
"I'll lead the charge, Frostleaf fight with me." The Vulpo girl nodded immediately after snapping back to reality. With her axe in tow, she cleaved through Mephisto's forces. Wave by wave, the frozen landscape was cleaned of the filth it inhabited.
Mephisto tried to put a brave front but seeing the Doctor knock down his men with ease, either by an icicle or the swipe of his hands. The Doctor rushed through the enemy soldier with a mighty blow, taking the enemy Sniper's crossbow he took it and fired at two more enemies afterwards he threw the weapon at the owner's head.
"Frost Blade!" Ophiuchus swung his hands with a blitz of frigid air, cutting through even the toughest of his enemy's defenses. The Doctor then used a fallen shield as a footstool to jump over the crowd, knocking over one of the jugs with ounces of gasoline Reunion had nearby and lighted it on fire with a Fire Cord.
Frostleaf struggled to keep up until the Doctor threw a syringe her way, without batting an eye she injected it through her bloodstream. Suddenly, she felt faster and lighter; she threw a long swing at a Reunion Soldier then from behind she quickly disarmed another from behind, following it up with a thrust from her axe.
In unison, they left a trail of wreckage and mass destruction.
Any enemies that leaked out were either shot with a powerful bolt or blasted to high heaven with ARTS, Amiya felt that they should be grateful that she didn't clawed their faces.
Not that there were many targets to fight.
The duo of ice-powered Rhodes Islanders made their way to confront Mephisto, the boy tried to step away but his legs were held by ice. He though that this time he can take them down, he made them lose their morale by that show only to realize that he just stoked Rhodes Island's own fire.
He was a fool to think that aggravating them would ever work.
"Run for it, he's the guy that was able to fight toe-to-toe with our leader!" A Reunion member panicked and ran from the battle but he was careless, as a result a sharp pain was felt on his heel. Blades of frigid air zoomed towards a group of soldiers, they raised their protective shields but to no avail; every single one was sliced by Frostleaf's power.
Mephisto bit his lip, this was all not going to well. He figured that they were enough to stall them for his trump card but instead his small army was being torn to shreds quite easily too. It was a terrifying sight seeing the Doctor use the terrain not only as advantage for his troops but as an accessory for his newfound combat prowess.
Yet, even with the bolstered force of Rhodes Island he was certain that they have yet to show their hand fully.
This notion was both insulting and scary to Mephisto.
Amiya and Meteorite along with Adnachiel and Lava blitzed past the brute-forced passage the duo cleaved through. The little rabbit thought that now it was alright for her to at least lend the Doctor some support.
"Tarukaja." She whispered behind cover as with the crack of an ethereal mask, Miseria shared its energy towards the Doctor. Quickly dismissing it, she shot two concentrated bullets of ARTS towards a two flunkies who attempted to rush in Adnachiel from behind.
The Doctor with Frostleaf by his side stared down at the total defeat of a commander.
He was soundly defeated that much is certain but like a child throwing a tantrum after being beaten so badly in a game, Mephsito flew into a fit or rage. He swung his cane like a bat but the Doctor easily blocked it with hooksword then easily countered with a fist to the face.
Before he could ever utter a word he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, horrified he looked over to see red on his coat and a sword sticking out of it. The Doctor pulled back his sword and Mephisto cried out in pain, said pain was even worse as the sword had a hook in it.
This was it, his comrades were too late and he would fail to meet Talulah's expectations. He stared at his killer and chuckled at how ironic this scene was for him.
"Why?..you sing our wishes yet you aren't by our side..."
His question was returned with a cold hard stare like a disappointed father would make, "Reunion wishes to burn the world and create a paradise with the corpses of everyone else, those wishes are not what I sing."
The Doctor was said to be a great tactician, hence why they were ordered to retrieve him after they got control over Chernobog. He would be their messiah, a creator of miracles at least that was what Mephisto thought of when Talulah briefed them about him.
Yet they failed and the Doctor awakened and fought against the people that he could have fought with instead. When he awakened to that power of his and completely wrecked Reunion, the child was horrified at the impact of their failure.
All was not lost however, shortly he and many others found reprieve in music. MASK spoke to him, his desire to tear this system down to the ground and how cool they looked while doing so. He had no doubt that if Reunion and the band met, they would endorse their will.
However, he was proven wrong once again.
Now, the vocalist of that band he admired so greatly is the same person who would kill him and his new family.
Yet for the Doctor even that was merciful, the man suddenly took out a red gemstone and crushed it with his hands alone. Out of that hand a stream of fire erupted throughout his palm and blasted the wound Mephisto suffered from, cauterizing it and dealing great pain towards the clipped bird.
"I was going to kill you but the Doctor is more than content on making you suffer." Frostleaf sighed as she lazily rested, leaning on her axe. She did not question the man's anger or was it even anger at all, no to her what she was witnessing was justice.
The Doctor looked displeased with himself as he once again stabbed the commander with his sword, this time on the leg and did the same thing to his shoulder wound. Then he moved to the limping commander's arm and did the same thing once more.
"How many children must I fight to see this damn group burn to the ground?" He asked to no one, yet those who could hear realized what he meant, "Is this what those two kids died for? Did they die so that many more would have their last rights to human decency be revoked?"
He wanted to shout to heavens even more questions lingering on his mind, but held his tongue as he lazily kicked the fallen boy's head. He couldn't even question what he was doing to the young man as everyone with half a heart would understand and say it is only right. The Doctor sighed deeply with harrowing eyes his body shook with a barely visible maelstrom of emotions.
He tried his best to reform them somehow, now the time to wash them all away had come.
Those who want to bring despair only deserve despair to be brought upon them.
If he didn't deliver what's right upon this demented child, Frostleaf was more than welcome to do it. However his inner self wouldn't let him out of their cold grasp.
The clipped bird was then kicked harshly in the ribs, knocking him back but his tumble was softened by the knocked out bodies of his comrades. As for soldiers tried to interfere with the Doctor's punishment he could watch helplessly as Ophiuchus tore them apart.
He was getting nearer...
And nearer...
"-!" Until a shard of black ice descended before him. The Doctor quickly evaded it and threw some of his own at what he think it came from.
"Guh! My feet..." He looked over to see ice snaring up to Frostnova's ankles then back to where Mephisto was before retreating. Taking out another Agilao Gem, he crushed with his hands and set its blaze to melt the ice immobilizing her yet such flames could only slow the encroaching cold.
"It's no use, you cannot hope to melt my ice Doctor of Rhodes..."
In an instant the fiery battlefield was rendered into an icy landscape, the destroyed building preserved in a state of frost. There was odd type of beauty in the transformation barring the frozen corpses of the fallen.
The newcomers were pleased to see that Rhodes was enjoying their hospitality yet the leader was concerned at the Doctor, as his hood billowed with the icy wind the cold never bothered him anyway.
That did not change the fact that new Reunion members were appearing in every direction from every entry point possible, and while the number was smaller they oozed experience and actual fighting skill.
However it dawned on Meteorite as what they were facing up against, "Oh no...it's the Yeti Squadron."
Hooded figures readied their cold steels, their parkas billowed along with the frosty winds unlike the Doctor's whose flow was opposing the breeze.
"Talk about running on thin ice." Mephisto coughed out a breath of relief, "Honestly, what took you so long?"
The leader appeared in front of the duo with a commanding presence, she looked so young yet she oozes with experience and power. If he had to guess she is probably three years older than Amiya at the very least.
"I was doing my task then I heard a loud bang nearby, saving you was just a coincidence." She coldly said towards her fellow leader and his response to her callous words were a weak laugh.
"So cold, would it kill you to be more warm and welcoming to our guests?" Mephisto weakly looked at the duo of Ice-users that was ignored, "Oh well, it's a good thing you came. It'd be pretty embarrassing to die before introducing our next performer."
"Ladies and gentlemen...put your hands together for the nightmare of the northern tundra, the master of all Yetis herself...give it up for Lady Frost...NOVAAAAAA!"
As soon as Mephisto did his little spiel, he collapsed and was down on his knees unable to
support himself.
"They really did a number on you, as much I'd like to see an icicle go straight to your heart..." The white rabbit observed the wounds that Mephisto had, his pale skin had a stark contrast to the singed spots on his limbs and clothes, "Either way you're needed somewhere else, Petrova take this idiot out of here."
Before Petrova and some of the Yetis could assist Mephisto, the Doctor fired two Bufulas towards them but Frostnova threw her own ice at the projectiles.
"So you're the Doctor who gave Talulah and that fool a lot of trouble?" Frostnova descended from her platform of rubble along with some of her comrades, stepping froward to observe this man, "Hmmm...your ice is different from mine...yours is less cold no...warmer would be a better word."
"It's a shame however I have a duty to uphold, but do not fret I will give all of you a painless death."
The moment after she said that ice covered the whole street, snow fell like it was winter and even the fire was frozen over. Even the coolant liquid of some drones were frozen to almost irreparable degree.
Who knew that a whitened street could be so terrifying?
The young Vulpo mercenary dreaded this encounter ever since she heard the damage done to her co-workers. Now that she's face-to-face with the real thing it was apparent that her power is an ice cube compared to the white bunny's glacier.
Still, even her meager power can be of some use in this situation.
"Doctor..." Frostleaf struggled to talk, "Take Amiya and the others with you..."
The Doctor looked at her like she had lost it, "He...wish I could have live longer...I wanted to hear your next album too..."
"Are you nuts?" The Doctor shouted at her, "I refuse to leave anyone behind again!" Such an idea was sacrilege to the Doctor, he already sacrifice people to escape this hellhole. Never again will he be forced to make a such a choice, "After all, that's what this power is for!"
He readied his sword and his soul as the Yetis marched with their blades, his mind was working harder than ever to think of the best way to fight. The Doctor then looked over Frostleaf who was hanging by a thread, ready to overload herself with her ARTS.
"I won't let you sacrifice yourself Frostleaf, that's an order."
Frostleaf sighed tiredly like she knew the Doctor would say that, then she heard three more footsteps come from behind. Meteorite, Jessica, and Amiya stood by her ready to cover her as always.
"Honestly..." Meteorite sighed as well as she reloaded her weapon, "You're just kids...it's not right for you to throw your life away like that." The pink-haired fox stopped herself from making a retort, Meteorite was always like this after all.
"Yeah, we won't abandon you." Amiya chimed in charging her arts, she saw what Frostleaf is enduring as scales of ice still littered around her and was thankful that she didn't use her more melee-oriented fighting style. She then looked over the Doctor who was waiting patiently as everyone is readying for battle.
He sighed in defeat, the initial warnings be damned he isn't going to let Frostleaf in this state just because he had to conceal a portion of his power. He was sure that Kal'tsit wouldn't hold it against him if he just did this however.
Without hesitation, the familiar chime of a mask echoed throughout the white snowy street. A pink-haired woman in an ornate pink dress appeared beside the Doctor, a very different being compared to what the Doctor summoned before.
"Baisudi." He whispered the command to heal Frostleaf and in almost an instant the green aura shaved off the ice that coated her body.
If the only way they could ever survive is to carve their way out then he'll just have to make it happen.
0o0
(Play OST: Brink of Death [Persona 2 Eternal Punishment])
Courtesy of a Skill Card, Frostnova was blown away by the force of Ophiuchus's Snap. Another dose of Sukukazine later, the duo blitzed past the Yeti's formation and chased her down. Intent on destabilizing the chain of command and isolating the most problematic Reunion leader they had so far.
Before FrostNova could even process it, she was running away so far from her squad, she threw shivering ice towards the Doctor who fire his own ice in retaliation followed by blades of cold air from Frostleaf.
"Guh...what the..." At first she thought that they had her, in hindsight it was a stupid notion to go through. They were holding back all along and for some reason she can't shake off the feeling that she still has not yet learned the extent of Rhodes Island's abilities.
Another swipe of her hands and ice came forth but annoyingly the Doctor dodged it from high above, she missed by skin of her teeth as the Doctor evaded her using that grapple of his. Then he launched a sparkling cord from his wrist narrowly dodging it.
But it was all a ploy.
"Gah!" She forgot the other threat, Frostleaf was capable of launching her own ARTS from a good distance and thanks to the strategy they had, it was extremely difficult to actually hit them.
At the back of her mind, she worried for the state of her comrades. That bunny girl is not someone to underestimate and without her it was like her comrades are what they wanted Rhodes Island to be in.
They were strong but against that...
She had to make this quick, no matter what she had to get back.
"Oh no, you don't!" She raised her sword to block the incoming blade but it was too much, instead of the Doctor it came from that thing he summoned, FrostNova was flung from behind and felt a thrust of an axe towards her back.
Without letting her rest, the Doctor pushed her back with another Snap.
She was still reeling from the pain and examined her surroundings with few precious seconds she had. They were relentless in their pursuit and they were keen on not facing her directly. It was effective too, and reinforcements are an impossibility as this place lacks people since everyone else was mobilizing.
FrostNova lunged towards the Doctor quickly, but he stepped out of line easily. It was a sloppy improvised attack but it will do, he wasn't her target.
"Frostleaf, duck!" The warning was too late however, Frostleaf was scraped by the ice that she launched. However, the Doctor noticed something strange about that attack.
For one, the ARTS was black.
Quickly, the Doctor got off FrostNova's case and assessed his friend's injuries quickly noticing the ice's strange growth-like behavior. Baisudi proved useless to the black ice so without warning he sliced a layer of her skin with surgical precision. The cold made the process more tolerable but Frostleaf still yelped in pain, then the Doctor had Ophiuchus throw the discarded tissue and fired it with a Bufula topping it all of with a Diarama on the injured fox girl.
That was enough time for FrostNova to launch her own counterattack.
FrostNova used her ARTS to erect a barrier of ice around her, laying around a glacier around herself to protect her like a cocoon. More black ice were suspended in the air, ready to implant themselves to the ground if need be.
Now why would she do this even though it'd be in her best interest to rush over to her comrades?
Why to sing of course.
While Amiya was attacking the enemy with illusory sensations with the others support, the winter cold was less harsh. However while they were pushing back Reunion's forces, a melancholic tune echoed throughout the white streets.
"Спите, дети мои, спите—Sleep, my children, sleep~"
Lesser Reunion grunts grinned at their confusion after all if Rhodes Island has an ace up their sleeve, then so do they.
"Куклы ёжики и мишки Тедди—Hedgehog dolls and teddy bears~"
The Yetis had knew that her song would reach them no matter how far she is from her family.
"Тихо опускайтесь в черный цвет—Sink quietly into black~"
"What kind of melody is that!?" Meteorite nor Amiya couldn't see the source of the song but they dreaded the reason as to why.
They looked over to see black ice hovering near them and in terror realized what it was for.
"She's casting ARTS!"
"Мои сломанные марионетки и куклы—My broken puppets and dolls~"
A veritable hailstorm of black ice descended towards Rhodes Island's forces and while no one was harmed they still took caution.
The ice that landed on the ground was not normal.
"Black Ice..." Amiya's eyes widened as she saw the ice spread along the ground, eroding anything it touches. Rusted streetlights and broken vehicles crumbled away into the darkness of the ice's territory.
Injecting Tarukazine into body again, he can feel a sudden burst of power once more. Whatever that aria may be, she was obviously casting some form of ARTS and because of that it must be interrupted.
"Snap!" Ophiuchus blasted through her glacier easily and big shards of ice scattered about.
FrostNova quickly rushed towards the Doctor once more, before she found an opening and she was ready for the Doctor to pay the price for her discovering it.
"Tch~" This time the Doctor blocked her strike with his sword, his stance was firm but his blade was wavering. "Why? Why does my sword refuse to attack her?"
He pushed her back before she could make his sword as brittle as chalk with another Snap. At the very least he was relieved to know that Personas are better than swords in this situation. Still it was draining to use HP moves when his HP is periodically declining as it is.
"Diarama." Coating himself in a greenish aura his wounds were all but a distant memory.
"Interesting...your medical ARTS is applied in an instant and to such an effect..." FrostNova also noticed that the Doctor was drained every time he pushes her back with an unknown force.
"You flatter me, your black ice is much more terrifying however." The Doctor returned the compliment, "You know, I've never seen someone with a lower body temperature than Frostleaf..."
If there is one thing consistent about Oripahty is that the closer you are to becoming Originium yourself, the stronger your ARTS is. Equivalent exchange usually implies the following: she herself is nearing that critical level.
"Oripathy is a relentless thing." Hell, she might already crossed that threshold yet still soldiers on.
If that was the case, they had to go back to the others. If her song from earlier was anything to go by then Amiya and the others...
"Frostleaf, escort our retreat I'll kite her." Such a term was unfamiliar to FrostNova who was not familiar with game lingo, so whatever kite means then it must be bad.
The white rabbit quickly chased after them before they could initiate whatever plan it may be, but this was what they wanted all along. Having her attention focused on them so she won't continue with whatever that song did.
Meanwhile Amiya was struggling to fight against the combined front of regular Reunion soldiers and the Yetis, whose teamwork and tactics are way better than what they have fought against so far.
"I wish that I could use my Persona but we have to hold on." After all if the leader of Rhodes had to resort to her trump card every instance of a roadblock then she won't grow.
Amiya recalled the advice her Persona told her before, the gift she now awakened too. Not just the power to summon a giant being and blow streets sky high, a much more subtle yet strong force. Their foes are bound by the fate of being Infected, yet she a fellow Infected has her shackles destroyed.
No, it was more like she chose not to be shackled. The chains on them were not tied to anything in the end, they chose not to see their bounds.
"Snipers hold the line, fire while going into Formation: Helix." They didn't need to win, they just didn't have to lose, this was not the battle that will decide the end there was no need to give their all.
Conserving her strength she turned a regular bolt of ARTS into a small salvo, aiming at several Reunion soldiers with pinpoint accuracy she sent in the same sensations those poor people must have felt.
"It burns! Make it stop!" Rampant panic rose among their ranks as illusory sensations spread throughout the battlefield. Some passed out as their brains overloaded with the false pain they have been in and others were deem unfit to fight in the frigid coldness of their own mind.
Yeti or not, Rhodes Island beats Reunion in experience and in the ways the can play.
As things were going smoothly they were suddenly halted as the three fighters returned to the main square.
"Doctor! Frostleaf!" She cried out as the Doctor was still in decent condition but Frostleaf was raggedly breathing she wasn't like the two who had their constitution improved because of their Personas.
FrostNova looked around confused as to why her comrades were acting like they've been set on fire or been in the iciest lake or Ursus but then she saw the black trails of ARTS in some of them.
"Why did you lead me back into this place?"
"Simple really, we whittled you down so that the others could have an easier time against you." The Doctor nonchalantly said but while he was talking he was already assisting the injured with Pixie's Dia, her small body was able to heal others without taking alarm from the opponents.
Not using a card isn't the only way to hide it.
"I figured that separating you would make things easier..." He looked over to see the frost dying down, the black ice all but dissipated when she returned, "It turns out that I was right."
FrostNova saw now how resilient Rhodes Island actually is, "I underestimated you...Rhodes Island." The white rabbit let out an amused chuckle, "Your insight is formidable, however..."
Cold air swirled around her as visible winds came from everywhere, where there is even a mote of heat the air currents flow.
"That is not enough!" A blizzard came at full force and the winds grew ever harsher, then the bodies of their comrades grew colder.
"She's stealing the heat from everywhere!" Amiya and the Doctor said in unison, as they feel that it was getting harder to move even their faces started to feel numb from the cold. The Doctor tried to rush in to stop what she was doing only to be blasted by a barrier of cold wind, then he tried to pierce the veil with a Gale Strike but it only did the adverse effect of blasting him back.
His attacks lack the ability to pierce through her defenses and the barrier let her sing to her heart's content.
"May your anger be buried in frost..!"
Ice was collating towards FrostNova, the white rabbit acting as the nexus point for the swirling storm that was about to be unleashed towards them. Frostleaf with all her might stopped her from finishing the attack with her own ARTS.
"Something is stopping the cold from gathering?" She looked over to see Frostleaf standing stalwart even with her exhausted condition. The mercenary grunted as poured in all that she can muster up.
"I won't let you come...any closer." Frostleaf looked at her with a determined face, this level of exertion was taxing to the young Vulpo that much she knew. She accepted the high likelihood of her dying in this battle, in fact she was a bit ashamed that she would stain this mission's results.
Meteorite however couldn't just let her do something so foolish, the idiot didn't even realized that she was nearing her limit already.
'I'm going Amiya."
"Be careful Meteorite!" Amiya then commanded everyone else to cover Meteorite's gambit as she met resistance from Reunion's flank.
Casters bolts rained down with the intention of stopping her in her tracks but they were intercepted by shards of ice.
"Thanks Doc!" Meteorite was running even faster, dodging those chasing after her and the attacks header her way. Using the momentum she built up, she knocked down a Reunion Defender then used their shield as a makeshift board to launch herself higher.
At the same time, Frostleaf's influence was getting weaker as a result the wind grew a tiny bit stronger once more.
Yet as the gale grew stronger, it gave Amiya more time to think about their foes.
The Yetis were quite skilled at taking advantage of the terrain they've created, yet it struck to her as odd. FrostNova was far away busy with the Doctor and Frostleaf but she still has reach when that aria resonated, no matter how potent yours ARTS can be it should only be active on places you can sense.
Thus it dawned on her, how could she forget who she was fighting against. Amiya looked around the battlefield towards where it is the coldest, a silvery teal glint reflected in her eyes. Seeing what she was looking for, she fired her ARTS towards it and without much resistance the crystal was destroyed.
Originium shaved off an Infected was often looked down upon when used for construction, even then some people had the decency to not salvage material from carcasses. However, as a nexus point of ARTS there was no denying the power that certain shards had when it came from special people.
Giving away those pieces are seen as a symbol of trust towards the recipient and the Yetis had trust in spades.
"She found us out!?" The winter cold lost a bit of its frigidity once the Originium exploded into a frosty blast. Amiya knew now that they had them, all that's left is for Meteorite to pass through the enemy.
More fire came through Meteorite's way and she dodged it all the same, she was treading the needle between her and the enemy. The nicks and scratches she was having are incomparable to the pain her friend was enduring for them.
It was time to live up to her codename and so like meteorite descending fro the sky, this impact should shake their core.
Meteorite leaped through the air with her crossbow at the ready and filled the bolt with as much ARTS she could, FrostNova's guard was down the moment she realized one of her Originium Crystals were destroyed.
So she pulled the trigger and pierced through the wall of frigidity.
The hooded man beside her did not waste this moment, this what they were aiming for all along after all. With his hooksword in hand he attempted to slash through her torso but FrostNova regained awareness of the battle and caught his sword with her bare hands, the pain was nothing to her as even her wounds can be frozen over. In this brief exchange FrostNova swung her sword down to finish him off and as the steel descended down the Doctor, he smirked.
She could hear the faint noise of a broken mask as Ophiuchus disarm her blade with his own, then he caught it mid-air. FrostNova then tried to blast him with ice, in this range there was no way she could miss but before the ARTS could manifest she saw the Doctor take a leap back.
"You can have it back." His Persona fired the sword like a bullet with his thumb, the snap sent FrostNova far away and her sword embedded her shoulder through one of the streetlights of the square.
Before she could process what happened, the Doctor and Rhodes already made a quick escape and she used up some of strength for nothing.
"So..they got away..." She coughed blood after the skirmish and sighed.
Even more so as a hulking silhouette greeted her.
0o0
Making their way to the escape point they can now finally take a breath of relief, the Doctor immediately treated injured Operators with whatever SP he still had left on him.
"Good thing, we didn't bring Lancet-2 or Castle-3 there..." He wheezed out as he tended to Midnight and Spot's injuries while they were walking.
"Ahhh...that's nice..." Midnight was very eager to take treatment from the good doctor, unlike other treatments his was like taking a dip in a hot spring and with his joints so numb and sore from the cold he and his group member needed this.
They had to take another route after the unexpected encounter with the Yeti Squadron so Hoshiguma and her group quickly mobilized back to Lungmen.
Still, Amiya couldn't help but be anxious on the whereabouts of their friend.
"...Amiya, we finally gotten through the LGD..." Meteorite quickly put Amiya on the speaking channel to which Amiya was grateful for. The young leader quickly signaled to the Doctor that they finally contacted Ch'en to which he was relieved to hear.
"Madam Ch'en!" Amiya quickly called out her name to make sure that she was heard, she could hear wind swirling from where Ch'en was at.
"...Listen up..." Ch'en's voice was far from a victorious one, dread laced her every word as she looked over the dusty dunes beyond her home, her sword was resting yet her mind and heart were racing.
"I'm fine now..." Her voice said the opposite, "But Lungmen is in danger."
Reunion had a gambit of their own, instead of outright eliminating Rhodes Island they had them linger long enough for reinforcements to arrive. For the next stage of their plan, they didn't need to win the fight.
They just didn't need to lose the next one.
- TURN END -
Extra Turn: The Little Things
In a day like any other the Doctor would usually spend his time after work wandering through the Ark or even Lungmen. He'd still use his time to the best that he can given that he had so many commitments in his new life but today was a day to keep in touch with a friend.
A friend from the other side, Talulah specifically.
The woman invited him to come to a place in Lungmen called "Choi Bazaar." He heard it once or twice from Swire when she was consoling some of the Operators about cheap fashion, of course he knew what the Draco wanted.
Talulah wanted to go shopping.
"We're here." After meeting at the usual place they conduct their secret hangouts, they went northeast to the mall. It was bustling like everything in Lungmen usually is, especially the commercial districts. Still, it was strange for Talulah to ask him to go on a shopping trip.
"You know I was under the impression that you wouldn't go to these common folk places."
"Is it because of the dresses?" Talulah asked, she was wearing her carefully picked out civilian attire of a long-sleeved shirt and tight jeans and with some proper makeup she could pass off as a Vouivre tourist, "You know how I detest noble attire."
"I remember but I figured you'd go with more designer label apparel if anything." Even as a revolutionary or terrorist in most cases Talulah's wardrobe was to put it lightly, upper middle class at the very least, even if those were unwanted linens, "Oh- I guess you and..."
Talulah nodded, "Yeah, even as children we occasionally go to the arcade to pass the time."
"Oh, there's an arcade here?" The Doctor was now interested given his new interest in video games, "Wanna check it out after shopping for clothes."
"That'd be fun, sure."
Three hours later, the Doctor was now carrying four bags on each hand. Not all of those were Talulah's however, some stuff caught his eye and he couldn't help but buy them. New clothes for Amiya, some stationary for Kal'tsit and a few decorations to spruce up his room.
"I'm sorry is there a Medium version for this design?" Talulah inquired to the saleslady, whom quickly rushed in to check at the back to find Talulah then looked at the Doctor who was patiently waiting "Oh, sorry I wanted to get some stuff too for gifts."
She says this even though her hands are struggling to hold the nine or so bags on each one.
"I wanted to leave something for Eno, Sasha, Lyudmilla and Yelena after all this is over." She sheepishly said even though she had way too much stuff in her hands already.
"Who now?" The Doctor wasn't familiar with the names but respected her wishes, "Never mind, it's fine we're not exactly burning daylight yet."
Although, if they wanted to have a smooth experience it couldn't hurt to at least get a drone carry their stuff for them.
0o0
"Hey Doctor! Didn't expect to see you here." Ethan's appearance came as a shock to the man, "So, she your girlfriend of sumthin?"
The Doctor in question's cheeks flared up in embarrassment, "No we're friends is all, right Eula?"
The reddened Eula nodded quickly, not even batting an eyebrow at the sudden change of her name.
"Right..." The chameleon boy looked at them with suspicion, "I haven't seen you in Ark, you a local?"
"You could say that..." The disguised girl was panicking on the inside, of all the Rhodes Island Operators that she had to stumble to it was one of her former comrades.
It was strange to see Ethan here to be honest, Lungmen was always strict towards the presence of the Infected especially in the commercial areas of the city.
"You used your camouflage didn't you?"
"You caught me." Ethan decided to come clean knowing that lying to the man was useless, "Relax, that's what the monitoring band is for right? I'm just someone's entourage anyways."
That was news to him, "Who?"
"Jaye's, the man went to go window shopping for some knives and I offered my services." The chameleon boy explained, "Although, I kinda got lost so I decided to look for him."
"Couldn't you have just called him?" The Doctor refused to believe that he did out of his goodwill based on the bags the Specialist was carrying.
"I forgot to get his number." Ethan embarrassingly said, "So...can you call him for me? If I stumbled upon Miss Swire or Hoshiguma I'm gonna get a scolding...if it was Madam Ch'en I'm screwed."
Talulah's eyes narrowed at that, "Is she really that bad?" She asked out of concern for her sister's growth more so than caring about Ethan.
"If it can possibly harm Lungmen then yeah, I figured that this would be one of them given the rumors of her being so strict." Ethan shrugged.
"Rumors of her are exaggerated most of the time." The Doctor clarified as he called Jaye, after scrolling over his phone's contacts.
He knew what Ch'en is like under the surface of professionalism, she was just like Amiya; an idealist. There wasn't anything wrong with that in his opinion, it was the source of their drive and they're both good people. After hours Ch'en was less terrifying than her Superintendent role would entail given that she was an avid gamer.
"You sure? Oh right you're pretty close to the LGD lady now that I recall." Ethan casually said, "Sheesh Doc, you have so many girlfriends I can see why Midnight always jokes about that."
"You forgot a space in that word there Ethan." The Doctor sighed as he called Jaye, and based on the bustling noise it was at the marketplace, "You're selling fish there?"
"How do you accidentally start a stall in a marketplace? Where did you even got the fish to sell?" The Doctor tiredly sighed, "Do you always bring your ice cooler with you?"
While the Doctor was preoccupied with Jaye's hijinks Ethan decided to make small talk with the disguised Talulah.
"Ehrm, Eula was it?" Ethan looked back to see the Doctor still exasperated, "How did you guys met?"
Not used to be called by that name, the Draco girl almost jumped in surprise, "I-I...well he saved me."
"Where you mugged in an alleyway or something?" Wouldn't put it past the Doctor to do that, from what we heard the Doctor learned how to fight shortly after returning to Rhodes. Then there was that time he gave some slum-dwellers a lot of money to uplift themselves after Reunion wrecked their home during that one mission.
"Well...it was more like trapped..." Talulah took caution to say anything else so she had to vague as possible.
"Trapped in a dark place with no way to get out?" Ethan specified, "By that I mean either medically or physically being stuck."
Talulah went silent and Ethan was unaware at how dead-on his question was.
"Sorry, it's fine if you don't want to talk about it." Ethan paused and decide to ask her different question, "Anyways, what do you make of him exactly?"
"Pardon?"
"He's the guy who gave me a second chance is all, even helped my friend out when he was in trouble. He's a pal so I kinda am curious as to how see you him."
Even though it was lighter question to ask, it was much harder to come up with an answer. What is the Doctor to her? He was of course of a friend, there was no denying that but was there something more to him? Why does spending time with him so appealing even though she knew that she may yet revert. She hadn't felt the kind of joy ever since...
"I...I don't know actually." Talulah admitted, "He's a kind man but it's pretty difficult to answer your question."
"Eh, don't sweat it. Tons of female and even male co-workers of mine couldn't exactly answer that too." Ethan paid it no mind, he was just passing the time after all, "All I know is that the mom energy on him is so high."
Mom energy? That's a term that Talulah never heard before.
"Jaye's at the marketplace down at the basement floor here." The Doctor approached him with a painful sigh, "Next time get his number and pick him up at seven later, you can do whatever you want just don't get into trouble. Now if you'll excuse me we're going to pick some cookbooks."
The Doctor took up cooking after realizing the health risks of eating nothing but instant noodles as a snack and found the process enjoyable even, taking up a tutelage under the better chefs like Gummy and Matterhorn he was able to even impress Kal'tsit with his cooking.
As the two left Ethan sighed to himself getting ready to pick up Jaye later.
"Okay mom."
0o0
After seeing a bookstore and spending a long time in its papery halls, they finally dropped by the arcade that Talulah talked about. It was painfully retro but it had everything it needed for an arcade to be fun, skeeball, pinball, and copious amounts of retro game cabinets like "Newsgirl" or the retro fighting game "Alleyway Brawler 2" the first one was a caveman's fighting game but the sequel introduced a gaming revolution known as combos.
"Glad to see the place hasn't changed too much." Talulah let the nostalgia flow through her nose and eyes, "Oh that's a new game."
The game in question was Destiny/Great Order Arcade, the Arcade interpretation of the popular mobage DGO only exclusive in Yen or Higashi arcades. The Victorian and Kazimierz fanbase made it even a joke whenever DGOA gets exclusive content and Attendants.
Something about "ONORE ARUCAEDO!"
"Do you wanna try it?" The Doctor hesitantly asked, he played DGO on his phone daily and from experience and knowledge this arcade machine crushes souls and snorts the residual dust like how some Attendants live on that funky black dust.
Purchasing a paltry sum of a few hundred tokens the two faced off each other on opposing machines, a special thing about DGOA was it can also be a Player Vs Player experience. As newcomers however they had to summon some Attendants first before they could do anything maybe even get some Line Aspects to modify them.
Drop rates for a five-star were abysmal as to be expected. He couldn't even winning a war with those odds, what if he had to roll in a gacha banner just to have permission to deploy his Operators?
He was thankful he was living in a world not shirked by probability.
It was a slog of a roll but luckily he had two four stars as his starting roll gave him. Stiletto the Assassin and Eliza Bastory the Lancer there were not good but at least there were something, granted his Cezar the three-star Blader was way more useful than them and Kukhalin was leagues better than anybody else he got but it was fine.
"Uhhhh Doctor." Came Talulah's voice in front of him, "Is five stars good or not?"
Thank heavens he was already a patient man for the sight he was seeing would be enough sodium chloride for thousands of meals to come. Talulah's beginner roll was the stuff of legends, the mythical starter five star.
Her screen had Atria Pendleton the flagship Blader of the franchise as well as Nekoris a powerful Enchanter four-star, and while she had no Kukhalin she had the four-star Rager Herchalis. Not to mention the Aspects she can equip like Sign Enforced Designation, Be Graceful, Unlimited Over Infinity.
He'll chock it up as beginner's luck.
They set their teams in Free Battle that allowed the players to use them at full strength regardless of grind since they didn't want to spend to much time on one game. Tutorials were clear enough and both had no advantage in experience to speak of in terms of actually playing DGOA, some people were even watching them play clearly thinking that Talulah was going to win the fight.
She had stronger and better characters after all.
However, the battle became a major upset as Herchalis was the least one standing in Talulah's team. The Doctor did not know how skills were translated over here so he made the best setup he could.
Cezar as his front as he was always talented in focusing on a single target, Eliza debuffed them with her area of effect and Kukhalin was more durable then Herchalis in some cases.
The showdown devolved into a duel between Herchalis and Kukhalin and both players were tensed at the closeness of the battle.
Herchalis was slow but he was a big fighter able to cover more ground and when his attacks land, they stick with you. Kukhalin was nimble and focused, he had safety nets for days some even wondered at how in the hell is he always dying in the original source material given that he almost untouchable here.
Talulah was put into the role of the defensive given that she was out-sped by the Doctor's last Attendant. If the Doctor could blunder in his movement once then his Attendant would be in a world of hurt.
And it did happen, in an attempt to finish him off. The Doctor forgot to get away from Herchalis' insane reach. With a loud thwack from his broadsword Kukhlain should have been defeated right?
A flash of red light spread out in the battlefield and the herculean man fell to his knees, when Kukhalin was defeated it only triggered a skill that the Doctor quickly used at the start of the battle.
Combat Repetition, on death it revives the fallen Attendant.
Talulah lost even with her good units, the Doctor was able to maneuver around them with what he has.
"That was fun." Talulah happily said even though she lost, she was thrilled with the close match, "Don't know why some where a bit upset though."
"They figured that you would have an easy time beating me with all the strong units you pulled." The Doctor was secretly thankful that she held back in using EX-Calibre after Eliza got a few debuffs in.
"How about we play something more co-operative like uh...this zombie shooting game I guess."
0o0
Leaving the arcade after cashing some tickets from other games that are more meant for families the Doctor was now carrying a gigantic brown rabbit on his shoulder, even the drones had difficulty carrying that so he elected to do it himself.
"On the bright side, this would make a great present for Amiya." The Doctor cheerily said as the Cautus leader was still a young girl at heart and loved cute things, "Actually now that I think about it...it kinda resembles her in a way."
Maybe he could lend a spare jacket to test that theory.
"Either way, I think it's a well-exchanged prize." Talulah quipped, "Although mine is not as remarkable as the one you picked up."
The item in question was just a new camera is all, nothing too fancy.
"But I'm sure W would find it useful, I noticed her carrying a worn-out camera so..." She sheepishly pressed her fingers together.
After that visit to the arcade they decided it was good time to go home, the sun was going down after all and soon this side of Terra would be immersed in the glowing moonlight.
This was always the end of their hangouts or consultation as the Doctor described it was. They elected to go to the usual spot first before heading towards their separate ways. Because come daylight, they were still technically on opposing sides.
On the road towards that path however, they saw a raggedy kid begging a local pharmacy for something.
"Please...I have the money..."
"I told you before, we don't serve your kind." The clerk looked at the kid like he was the scum that washed up on fishing boats near Yen's harbors, "Besides you probably stole that money."
The kid had black crystals prodding on his shoulder, it was faint but because of his impoverished looks it was visible to see.
"My mom isn't an Infected, please let me just."
"Store policy kid, now back off before I-" As the clerk was about to hit the desperate boy, an arm grabbed him.
Talulah without even a word rushed in to the kid's aid, "What are you doing? this is just a kid."
The clerk was intimidated by the newcomer's arrival, her gaze daring them to make a move.
"I-I...Ma'am he's an..." They stopped as Talulah's gaze became more fierce as if she was challenging them to finish their sentence. But before the conversation devolves into a brawl the Doctor stepped in and grabbed her shoulder.
He shook his head and gestured her to console the crying child.
"I'll pay for this kid's medicine, I'm not an Infected so this doesn't violate story policy correct?" The Doctor had a solemn gaze at the clerk, "Of course I'm more than happy to let her continue if you decline my business."
Defeated and terrified, they forced to give in to their unreasonable demands of buying a kid some medicine.
"I...Uhh thank you for helping me Mister and Miss..."
"Call me Eula and this guy here is...Sora." Talulah smiled at the child while the Doctor was shocked at the namedrop. Granted even he doesn't know his true name but it felt off to be given one, "It's fine, we are more than happy to help someone in need."
The boy hesitantly looked at them, trying to put his sign of infection out of view.
"You sure, the clerk was right I'm an Infected." He sighed in shame, "And he wasn't wrong about me stealing money to afford that medicine."
"If you really need it then it's fine." The Doctor didn't reprimand him for doing a crime after all based on what they have noticed so far it's not like they have much a choice in the matter, "Is your mother also..."
"No." The kid's head drooped, "We're just poor, I was exposed to Originium once when I went out to the slums." The boy's father tried his best to make ends meet after a few bad jobs. Then he died due to overwork so the kid had to take care of his mother, who went sick because of the slums' unsanitary living conditions.
Yet something struck as odd to the two, why would volatile material be in the slums in the first place?
"I dunno, it was some cool looking weapon lying there. I didn't know there was Originium there." How could they, most kids don't even know what Originium ARTS is when given the context of fighting.
"I see...here have some of these..." The Doctor pulled out a few vials in reinforced containers from his coat with green liquid in each, "This should reduce the rate your Oripathy grows. No pharmacy has this kind of medicine up for sale so don't go there for this ok? Oh and a spoonful a day is enough so don't overdose, overdosing is very harmful especially for someone as young as you." The kid nodded.
The Doctor then pulled out a piece of paper from somewhere and wrote a contact number on it from a pen also out of nowhere, "Once each vial is gone, call me using a telephone or cellphone. If you have any trouble with that you can approach a tall green-haired lady or blue-haired lady and show them this paper."
"They're from the police here but I guarantee that they won't hurt you." The Doctor reassured the nervous kid, "Now off you go, your mother needs that medicine you bought right?"
The boy's eyes lighten like a million sparks and left towards their home which was actually nearby since the area surrounding Whelp's Cove was close to the slums.
"Thank you Miss Eula, Mister Sora." The boy waved back happily.
Now that they are by their lonesome, the Doctor had to ask something important.
"Is calling me Sora payback for calling you Eula?" He tiredly asked, "Where did that name even came from?"
Talulah playfully tilted her head in thought, "I guess it's because of your Persona? Sorry, I only thought of that name on the fly, his head looks like a starry sky so I thought it fit." Sora means "sky" in Higashian according to what she learned during her education, something that the Doctor couldn't fit in his time to study since he'd rather learn it form Hoshiguma than read it on a book and lose the emotion in it.
At the very least it was way more creative than the online forums calling his underground music persona, "Hood."
"Fine then, I'll take up that moniker." Talulah giggled at his reluctant approval, "Honestly..."
Talulah saw the Doctor as the sky, calm and kind but also having a hidden darkness within him. Yet she was certain that whatever the night sky within him is, it didn't change who he was.
It was the little things that proved it.
-TURN END-
Closure Report 3
Meteor and Plume managed to best the digital hurdle from before during the last simulation. I felt that this was the most important thing to report so I had to state that first.
It was a hard-fought battle and Plume lost a digital hand as the cost of disarming the knife-expert copy of the Doctor.
The program construct just stood there creepily once it was defeated and promptly dissipated along with its blank look. Hence, we are now able to prod deeper into the strange program may even be done with it before the Doctor and Amiya finish their conflict with Reunion.
However, there was a downside...
Eventually, we couldn't keep it a secret with Kal'tsit. Anybody would have crumpled into a scared mess if she asked them politely about what we are keeping from her.
Still, it was nice few weeks of decoding this thing without worry. To be honest I kept it hidden because I fear that whatever we may uncover here shouldn't be seen by anybody else.
To my credit, I was right with my judgment after seeing something the program's security left behind. It was strange diagram or rather blueprint of an item of some kind asking for materials that I aren't familiar of or I'm sure even existed.
It was connected to the Doctor too, so it could mean one thing...
Whatever the Doctor truly was before, it must have been something ancient. Way more old than the most Sarkaz at the very least.
Now we really do have to solve this puzzle, for the Doctor's sake because whatever information lies within the program must have been his race's legacy. I'm not aware of any other of the Doctor's kind but I think I can understand him a bit better now even back then.
Subjective emotions aside...
Meteor and Plume only paved the way for the second stratum of this strange tower. However we now know that this program is just begging to be cracked, I'm dying to piece together these strange blueprints lying deep within this block of code.
And if another security wall interferes with that prospect then we'll just give it a Rhodes Island welcome.
REPORT END
Review Notes
bahrithariq: I heard that AO3 needs a special recommendation to enter the writer's club there and yeah I've been to Wattpad in my younger years. Never again. If I do manage to get in AO3 maybe publish this story there in a more remastered sense. More illustrations with Persona moments.
Player Status
The Doctor LV 26
[Main Persona]
Ophiuchus LV 25
The Fool
Trait: Resourceful Transmutation
Frost Edge / Bufula / Mabufula / Ice Boost
Diarama / Media / Snap / Tenacity
Tenacity: Reduce damage taken slightly if HP is low or critical.
Frost Ace LV 23
The Chariot
Trait: Chilly Ace
Bufula / Hama / Lucky Punch / Sukukaja
Frost Edge / Tentarafoo / Diarama
Astolfo LV 17
The Fool
Trait: Paladin's Soul
Garula / Jinpugeki / Light Brand / Tarukaja
Rampage / Kouga
Shiki-Ouji LV 22
The Chariot
Trait: Shikigami
- May resist Curse attacks while equipped.
Snap / Taunt / Psio / Tarukaja
Pixie LV 4
The Lovers
Trait: Lightwing
- While equipped, movement speed is increased.
Dia / Zio
Parvati LV 25
The High Priestess
Trait: Fine Technique
- Increases technical damage.
Baisudi/ Psio/ Hama/ Energy Shower
(Persona resists Ice instead of reflects.)
Efreet LV 23
The Devil
Trait: Demonic Lineage
- Increase magical damage
Affinity
Weak to Ice, Resists Fire
Agilao/ Makakaja/ Taunt/ Pulinpa
Kresnik LV 24
The Hierophant
Trait: Vampire Hunter
- Bless damage deals more damage to those weak to it.
Affinity
Resists Gun, Nullify Bless
Light Brand/ Agilao/ Sukukaja/ Hama
Personal Skills Equipped
Brace
Gale Strike
Honed Accuracy
Boss Data
FrostNova
The Magician
Weak to Fire / Reflects Ice
Blackened Frost: Deals heavy Ice damage, ignores Persona affinities.
Fimbulvetr: Deals heavy Ice damage.
Mournfrost: Deals normal Ice and Physical damage.
Heavy Blade
Swift Strike
Author Notes
Better late than never huh?
There's a lot to process here to be honest especially the 2nd anniversary banner which I will definitely skip a lot of banners for, meta be damned. Also the lore reveals, that's all nice. Skadi Alter reminds of that fic with Altered Operators from other timelines. I think they even got the role of Skadi Alter right.
Kal'tsit confirmed.
Am I happy? No...I'm elated, ecstatic, in euphoria when the reveal dropped. Her theme song too, it is so good.
So yeah, credits to Kazragoth for being my beta reader for this chapter actually my only beta-reader to be honest. We discuss about lore sometimes and I kinda started a Discord only for AK writers, the lore is good but it really helps to have others to check any discrepancies.
Any fellow AK writers are welcome to join in, just send a direct message here.
As for why it took so long for an update...well game development studies for one. Actually I plan on adapting this story into a game in the future as I stated before in the pilot chapter but now I really do plan on doing it.
How it will play, I plan on making it with Strikers' combat system but on 2D sprites. Maybe I should start a YT channel to vlog the development progress. I won't be now for sure, I'll still have a lot to learn in game development and sprite art.
So, how's the new cover art for the PC users out here? It's Amiya's Persona, Miseria well you probably knew if you are one of the kind few who looked at my Tumblr blog. I went for a more monstrous yet graceful approach in designing her. Next time it will either be Amphitrite or a new Persona.
Before I leave, don't be shy and review this story. It's fun to hear your thoughts on the development on the plot. Also if you don't know who Kazragoth is, they're my neighbor in the Persona X Arknights Fanfiction section of the internet. Their first story is great and I love his approach in using Persona in AK, a contrast to mine.
Oh, and good luck getting that trim CC#3 medal fellow Doktahs. A good way to do that is to...
"Keep an open mind"
Next Turn: Turn 10: Spring of Birth
