A/N: New readers be advised. I write long chapters.
Some people would say that one of the most beautiful things about human beings is their capacity for resilience.
Persevering through the ages, sometimes falling, but always getting back up again.
Every day, human beings scrape a living from an ungrateful earth, in a cold, unforgiving universe. Misfortune after misfortune.
Human beings aren't perfect, that's for sure. But no matter what they do wrong. No matter what they go through. There will always be some who will rise again. With a smile on their face, ready to fight again.
And Terra was no stranger to this.
It must have been a day of misery, like all the others on Terra. A city was in flames, and men were tearing each other apart.
But here, in the midst of the fire and mire, a small change was afoot that would have monumental consequences.
The pain...
Pain was the only thing he felt, in the midst of all this darkness.
He felt as if he were sinking into the depths of the abyss, no sensation, no thought just terrible pain.
His mind was a broken machine, unable to function.
Hold on…
The darkness lulled him, inviting him to join her.
Please hold on, my champion...
?: Heart... Loss... Step back!
A shock went through him, a pain comparable to that of being struck by lightning. He slowly felt himself being pulled out of the abyss, while the pain was more intense than ever.
His mind began to reassemble itself. He knew who he was. But what was happening to him? How had he gotten there? Where had he been?
Lord this pain...
Despite the pain, he persisted, trying to regain control of every sense in his body. His mind totally separated from the rest of his body.
?: It's okay... Circulation has resumed, vital signs are stable... Injection of post cardioplegia solution...
Hearing was the first thing that came back to him. He could hear a young woman's voice and recognize the medical vocabulary coming from her mouth. Was he the one being operated on?
If he was in the middle of an operation maybe that explained all the pain, and the fact that he felt like he was being thrown into darkness. He thought he was about to be swallowed up. His body was at its weakest... So weak that he couldn't even take control of it.
?: Doktah... Please hold on...
That voice...
Through all the abysses, through all the darkness, he thought he perceived a feigned light.
This voice and this light warmed his body and revived his spirit, like a gentle ray of sunshine at the end of winter from which plants broke out of the snow, this very familiar voice pulling him out of the abyss into which he was plunged.
Soon his consciousness returned to his body. It passed through his brain and soon he could feel everything else in his body, down to every cell. He ran a quick diagnostic and oh, he wasn't disappointed.
His body was in shreds, so to speak: head trauma, cardiac arrest, hypothermia... And to make matters worse, he was under anesthetic. What an idiot had taken this decision... half asleep he couldn't begin his regeneration...
?: Low temperature... Hexamethasone injection, 20 cc.
He felt warmth flowing through his body, alleviating at least one of the problems and returning more and more strength to his body.
Seriously, what was going on? Why was his mind so... scrambled?
Slowly, the rest of his senses returned to him, except for his sight, which wouldn't work. He thought it best to take his surroundings into account at this point...
The smell... Disinfectant, metal. Hospital. Too much dust, mold, an abandoned hospital? His hearing focused, to a level unattainable for ordinary human beings.
Three heartbeats. Two young women, close together. One is stressed, much more than the other. A man, in the next room. Armed, his sword clatters in its scabbard... He's trembling.
He began to listen further away, outside the hospital. Civilians screaming, rage and hatred... Explosions, chaos. Was it war? Swords clashing, footsteps... Some were organized, not exactly like soldiers, more like mercenaries, others were pretty wild, not quite hooligans, but they lacked organization.
Why bladed weapons? There were no gunshots, yet there was already modern medicine...
He was in the middle of what seemed to be a war, and he didn't know where he was, or who the people around him were. In fear and incomprehension, he examined his own brain.
Major trauma...
He had amnesia.
Damn it.
?: Amiya the doctor... The doctor wakes up!
?: Doktah! Please hold on!
He could hear that familiar voice again.
Was that how she pronounced the word 'doctor'?
He felt his eyes open, his eyelids as heavy as the heart of the stars. Immediately, his eyes found hers.
Amiya pic
Once again, looking into those eyes, his mind returned to calm.
The pain was gone. The girl he was looking at bewitched and calmed him. Every part of his being quivered at the mere sight of her, as if his very soul recognized her. But still, he couldn't say her name.
He could feel the warmth of her hands in his, which were so cold.
Amiya: Doktah... I'm here for you...
Seeing her, hearing her, his heart filled with energy and his willpower was strengthened.
Medic: One moment Amiya, the doctor can't move yet-
No. No matter what happened, he wouldn't return to the darkness, he began to send each of his cells to expel the anesthetic molecules, he made his heart beat harder and faster, and coagulate his wounds one by one. His cells began to produce their own energy again, heat and color returning rapidly to his body.
The man squeezed her hand. Gathering more and more of the girl's energy and willpower.
The other woman in the room had animal ears and the gear of a combat nurse, but she recoiled in shock at what was happening on the operating table.
Amiya: Please... I need you...
She acted as a veritable battery of willpower for the man, who by sheer will opened his eyes wide and rose. Shocking the young woman nearby. And filling the rabbit-eared girl's eyes with hope.
He sat down on the operating table, feeling an abominable fatigue run through him.
He looked down at his hands and body. He was in tatters... As if a grenade had exploded right in front of him... Or five. And his body, usually so robust, was now so frail... So thin... He was just skin and bones.
The frostbite lesions on his cells indicated that he had been in cryogenics. And given the state of his body, for almost four years...
It'll took four days to recover all his muscle mass.
Amiya: Doktah... Finally...
Once again, he looked into her big, beautiful blue eyes, which seemed almost ready to weep with joy. He knew that look, the one you get when you meet someone dear to you again. The doctor's eyes filled with sadness at this.
He had no desire to hurt the girl's feelings. But he had to.
?: Who... are you?
The girl took a second to wonder if she'd heard correctly before looking slightly worried.
Amiya: It's me doktah... Amiya. You... Don't recognize me?
The giant looked at his hand again. Not daring to look at the girl. Why was this so painful for him...? He virtually didn't know the girl, though. The other young woman was the first to speak. Swallowing her saliva.
Medic: You had a... a head injury. I think the brain was hit... Doctor, do you…?
?: I don't remember anything.
His throat tightened as he said these words. The girl's face changed in a flash from shock to sadness.
Amiya: N-no... it can't be true...
?: I'm sorry...
Medic: Amiya maybe the amnesia isn't complete... Doctor, you don't remember anything? Anything at all?
What was he supposed to say, huh?
Oh, I remember a thousand previous lives but not you or what I'm doing here, sorry?
?: My name. Nothing else.
His voice was cold, hoarse. Sad, as if apologizing. The doctor seemed a little more saddened, as she nodded to him, as if to confirm whether he remembered his name.
?: My name is Sebastian.
Medic: That's... That's a start...
The man followed her gaze to see Amiya looking almost ready to cry.
Amiya: I need a moment...
She turned and put a hand to her face, as if not to show her weakness. As for the giant, he felt he'd been here too long and stood up with a start.
Medic was about to run towards him to catch him in his fall, because that was what happened to EVERYONE who got up suddenly after that kind of thing, but the man held on and signalled that all was well. The young woman sensed that something was wrong, however...
Sebastian: It's okay... I'm fine...
The man stood up and Medic was terrified.
He was gigantic. She'd never seen a man so tall; he must easily have been two meters tall. She looked into his eyes, and was soothed. His green eyes, so deep they looked like jewels. The giant looked rather intimidating despite his thinness, amplified by his short, ebony-black hair and beard, he didn't look so young, maybe in his thirties. He was wearing a black T-shirt, much too big for his thinness, black pants and combat boots underneath.
Seb pic.
He took a deep breath as if to test himself, but soon began coughing. Chasing the blood from his lungs, he didn't fail to worry Amiya, who rushed over to him and put a hand on his back. The giant wiped his mouth before smiling.
Sebastian: It's okay...
Even in a situation like this... he lied to reassure the others.
Amiya took a deep breath. When she'd woken him up. She'd feared he was the same man as before, as when Kazdel had fallen. But he wasn't. The demon was gone. She could feel it.
Oh yes, the cautus could have sworn she could feel the giant's soul, and to notice, he was back to her old self. The doctor stood up, looking well. Given his condition, which would have required a month's hospitalization for any other normal human being.
Amiya stepped back from the giant to look him straight in the eye.
Amiya: I... I knew you doktah Sebastian. For a very long time... Many things have changed since the last time we saw each other... I have changed... But for me, you will always remain the most important person in my eyes.
The doctor felt touched by the girl's words. Smiling bitterly.
Sebastian: I believe you.
Those were his simple words. He didn't need a long speech. Sebastian would never trust anyone like that.
And yet...
And yet, looking at the girl, he couldn't afford not to give her all his trust. For some reason, it was as if the affection and trust he'd felt for her before his amnesia had been engraved deep inside him. It wasn't something he felt with logic, no.
He could feel it already. Amiya was unique, and so was the bond between them.
Sebastian: Nice to meet you again, Amiya.
He said, holding out his hand. The cautus looked at it, before taking it and shaking it. A smile on her lips.
After all, a great man once told her, "everything that can be destroyed can be rebuilt. Brick by brick."
They were quickly interrupted when the door to the surgery room swung open, letting in a man dressed in the same colors as the other two.
Guard: Amiya! There are dozens of intruders in the building!
Immediately, the girl's attitude changed. It was then that Sebastian realized that she was indeed the boss around here.
Amiya: How is this possible? The hospital is not a center of interest. And the doctor's location was a secret!
Sebastian: Could we have intercepted your communications?
The doctor's question surprised everyone. One would have expected an amnesiac to be a little more curious about the general context around him. But at the moment, the giant's mind might be in pieces, but it was focused. The cautus smiled. Still as calm and reflective as ever, clean as a whistle.
Amiya: Unlikely...
Both raised their heads at the same time, seeming to hear running noises in the corridor.
Sebastian: Behind you!
A man dressed in a white coat, black bullet-proof vest and white mask attacked the man with them. But thanks to the doctor's warning, the man managed to stop the attack just before he was hit, engaging in a power struggle with his opponent, their weapons locked together. Another man in white ran into the room at breakneck speed.
The giant was surprised; he seemed to run faster than any standard human... Medic, who carried no weapon, took a step back in fear.
The man prepared to attack him and Amiya, acting faster than he thought, the doctor pushed the girl out of the way of the attack, thinking then that she wouldn't be able to avoid it.
As for the doctor, he dodged the attack in extremis with a simple step backwards, the ease and fluidity of which perfectly reflected his experience. His eyes sharpened, and his fists rose, assuming a fighting stance.
Before anyone could react, the doctor kicked the man's hand, sending his weapon flying away. The enemy didn't seem too fazed, however, and punched the doctor in the face, throwing him backwards slightly.
Okay, he wasn't quite awake yet. And his opponent was also much stronger than a standard human.
Were they all like this here? Strong as an ox?
In this half-second of reflection, the giant didn't dodge a kick to the chest that threw him to the ground.
The doctor hung onto the side of the operation table, and took a deep breath.
Okay. Now he was awake.
He took a deep breath, and surprisingly fast for his condition, threw himself forward, almost skimming the ground to dodge another of the soldier's punches. The giant grabbed his arm, and as he rose to his feet he delivered a phenomenal uppercut, powerful enough to shatter his mask and skull with the first blow. But he didn't stop there, his hand catching the back of the enemy soldier's head before pulling it towards him and taking it straight to his raised knee.
The impact was brutal: the giant grabbed a scalpel lying nearby and jabbed it into his enemy's throat to finish him off, and before he even had time to fall to the ground, the doctor threw the scalpel straight at the soldier struggling with their ally, killing him instantly by stabbing him in the skull.
Silence returned, after the chaos. Then shock. After all, who would have expected the doctor to kill two people in less than ten seconds?
Amiya seemed the hardest hit. The giant looked at her, blood that wasn't his own on his face.
Sebastian: You're not hurt?
He had no blood on his hands before, but now they were covered in it. Of course they were. He'd changed too. In a flash, the cautus pulled herself together, telling herself she had no right to be inefficient and distracted with so much that depended on her.
Amiya: No, everything's fine...
Garde: Damn, the radios don't work!
Sebastian: There must be a jammer around here somewhere. In the meantime, we should really get moving.
Amiya: Doktah's right, we should get out of here as soon as possible.
Medic: I don't know, the doctor shouldn't be able to move...
Everyone looked at her at once, intimidating the young woman.
Guard: You've seen as I have, I think the doctor can move perfectly well...
Sebastian: I don't think I can do a marathon right now, but I can manage.
Amiya: Come on, let's join the others!
The girl walked out of the room, stepping over the corpses with an ease that surprised the giant. At the same time, she gave off that slight fighter's aura. Everyone followed her lead into a cold concrete corridor. At the end, there was an intersection to the left and one to the right, forming a T-shape.
Amiya: The elevator is on the right!
The giant lent an ear and immediately seemed to panic, hearing numerous heartbeats on their left, just before they reached the intersection, but it was already too late, straight ahead came two hostile soldiers, one with a crossbow, the other with a machete.
The doctor ran ahead of the others, using his speed to take the two soldiers by surprise. He grabbed the machete-wielding soldier's head and ran on, smashing his skull into the concrete wall, his weapon flying into the air on impact, the doctor grabbed it, before stabbing it into the crossbow-wielding man's chest.
Then he froze, looking down the corridor in front of him.
The doctor's allies reached his level, only to freeze as well. Before them stood a dozen soldiers, more than half of them armed with crossbows. They were all staring at them.
There was a moment of calm.
But fortunately, the giant was the first to react. He kicked a kind of metal table that seemed to have been placed there as a barricade and seized it as well as the crossbow of the man he had killed, before his allies lined up behind him, demonstrating a certain combat experience. Then the projectiles began to fly.
Sebastian: Holy shit! Go to the elevator.
The giant stepped back with the table and fired, providing a degree of cover for his allies, the guard the medic and Amiya went to the elevator, and thank goodness, with the first press of the button, it opened. The three rushed into the elevator, but just as the guard was passing through the doors, a bolt of steel struck his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain and fall into the elevator. The giant saw this and ran towards his allies.
Amiya pressed the button to close the elevator doors and the giant slipped in just in time. Before the elevator began to descend. Inside he could see that medic was already treating the guard, and in her hand she held a strange wand with a piece of crystal under glass at the glowing end.
Then, slowly, the wound seemed to close.
The giant frowned at what appeared to be magic.
Amiya seemed to see this, and informed the giant.
Amiya: She uses her arts.
Sebastian: Her arts?
Amiya: These are the names of the powers conferred on us by originium... They are born of the pure will of their users.
He frowned. So they had magic, modern medicine, electricity, industrialization and yet!
They didn't have guns.
He was incredibly disappointed.
Sebastian: Originium?
She took a deep breath, feeling a little like a mother preparing to receive a series of questions about anything and everything from her child.
*crunk*
Suddenly, the elevator stopped with a jolt, silencing and alarming everyone.
Medic: What...
Then the elevator seemed to fall at far too great a speed, striking everyone present with genuine panic.
Except for one.
Amiya: The cable!
The elevator came to a sudden halt and they turned to the giant, who had remained unmoved.
Sebastian: Elevators have emergency brakes, you know?
It seemed almost as if this wasn't the first time he'd been caught in such a situation. He took a deep breath and looked at the guard.
Sebastian: Can you fight?
Garde: I don't think so...
Medic: My arts aren't strong enough to get him back on his feet so quickly...
Sebastian: Shit...
Amiya: I can!
The giant turned to her.
Amiya: I'm not a melee fighter, but I'm a skilled caster... I can handle helping you.
Sebastian: Well... just please don't shoot me.
He said with a slight smile before turning to the elevator doors and thrusting his hands through them, forcing them open. Once again, the four allies froze, the corridor in front of them filled with enemies.
The giant looked around, and could see that none of them had a crossbow. Too bad.
The enemy soldiers seemed to gather round, looking at the giant as an intruder, an easy target. Sebastian, sure of nothing, raised his fists and approached the group of enemies.
Just him, a corridor, and a shit ton of people.
One of them threw himself at him, weapon in hand. Thinking he'd make an easy victim.
Sebastian wasn't like that. He greeted him with a kick in the balls that made a disgusting cracking sound and paralyzed the man, then the giant approached the man in a flash and with a sharp, violent movement snapped his neck.
The corpse fell back to the floor as everyone else in the corridor identified the man standing there as a real danger.
Sebastian raised his fists again, three men charging at him.
And he was ready for them. He took the first of the three by surprise, punching him in the throat with his left fist. But the one on his left took him by surprise, delivering a strike with an iron bar just below the ribs. The giant bowed under the pain and shock, letting out a grunt. He retaliated with a punch to the face of the man on his left, sending him crashing into the wall of the narrow corridor.
Taking advantage of the moment when his back was turned slightly, the enemy furthest to his right attacked him with an iron bar, landing a monumental hit to his shoulder. The giant was also thrown against the wall. Without a moment's thought, he grabbed the neck of his nearest opponent with a guillotine chokehold on his left arm. He then kicked a fourth man, who had the idea of approaching, knocking him back. But the soldier to his right delivered another strike with his iron bar, which this time Sebastian could only cushion with his right forearm. He also kicked the man, sending him against the right wall. Seeing that more and more soldiers were amassing on the side of the main battle, the giant raised his legs and used one of them as a support to push off, taking the man he was choking with him to the ground.
Without wasting any time, he contracted with a sharp blow and broke the soldier's neck, killing him instantly. Another blow from the iron bar struck the giant on the ground, but he rolled to the side, grabbing the pipe from his last victim as he went. He then threw it with all his might at the soldier to his right, killing him instantly. But he was soon surrounded by all his enemies, who began to pelt him with blows. The giant did his best to protect himself.
But soon a sound like a bang echoed and they all turned towards the elevator, Amiya having killed one of them with a sphere of black energy she had concentrated in her hand. They all told themselves she was moving on to the priority target, but the doctor felt his heart beating faster and the energy returning to him as he told himself he had to protect the cautus, so he grabbed the leg of one of the men and stood up, pushing him and the group standing behind him into the rest of the corridor with a scream of anger. Now he had room to breathe, but enemies ahead and behind him. One of them closed in on him without a second thought, thinking only of the melee. The giant punched him in the face before he had time to react, then followed up with a powerful punch to the throat, crushing his organs. He felt a rush of air behind his back and ducked, dodging an iron bar aimed at his head. Hearing a man approaching from the other group, he kicked him right in the face before turning back to the people between him and the elevator.
Everyone already seemed more tired from the debacle than he was, even though he could feel every muscle screaming in pain and his lungs on the verge of exploding.
An enemy soldier approached, howling with rage, but Sebastian punched him again too quickly, but he moved ever closer to the enemy, and grabbed his arm, then rolled his own wrist and with a little impulse dislocated the soldier's arm, who dropped his pipe. His sequence continued with a kick to the face. Pushing the enemy soldiers back into the corridor once more, he then grabbed the pipe. Staying at a distance for a moment with the group in front of him, he then smashed the skulls of one on the right, then one on the left.
He was interrupted only by a strike to his lower back. He turned to see a man with a metal chain, whom Sebastian immediately attacked, his muscles bubbling with anger and therefore strength had no problem killing the soldier instantly, yet Sebastian delivered three more blows of immense brutality.
He grabbed the corpse and threw it towards his comrades, throwing them off balance before they all ran towards him. One of them swung a machete at him, but he ducked and struck back with his metal pipe, breaking his spine in the process. The second tried to attack him with a hammer, but the giant struck his hand, then his face, shattering both. The third came and the doctor stopped his arm with his own, blocking it under his armpit, then struck at his elbow, then at his throat with his weapon. The last one delivered another slash with his machete, which the doctor deflected with his pipe, then struck as if with a hammer on the nail that was his enemy's head, shattering his skull and sending flesh and bone flying everywhere.
Only the other group between him and Amiya remained, and after his performance they were all intimidated. Amiya thought it was the right moment and killed two of them with her arts, distracting their attention. Sebastian took advantage of this, running towards them and letting out a howl of rage, before jumping up and kneeing the middle man in the skull, killing him instantly.
He didn't stop there and, taking advantage of the shock, kicked the knee of a soldier on his right, breaking his leg with an open fracture. Then, with his pipe, he hit the soldier to his left, distracted by Amiya, in the face, killing him instantly. As for the soldier to his right, he kicked him again, aiming for his ribs, crushing them as well as his ribcage, giving him a painful death.
There was only one enemy left in the whole corridor, who seemed to be panicking, not really knowing who to look at between the giant and the cautus. Then Sebastian threw his pipe with all his might right into his skull, finishing him off instantly.
Calm returned once again, in the midst of the carnage.
The giant placed his hands on his knees, leaning forward in exhaustion. His frail body could not withstand such violence.
Garde: What the fuck am I supposed to be good for...
Amiya had no more doubts. It didn't matter who he had been before entering the sarcophagus. He had emerged as a fighter. Breathless, he got to his feet as the other three finally entered the corridor.
Sebastian: Please tell me it wasn't like that every day before...
Amiya: N-no...
Sebastian: That's good, because otherwise I don't think I'll make it-
He suddenly fell silent and looked to his right, towards the concrete wall. It was as if he had heard something the others had not. Then, not even a second later, the wall exploded, revealing a colossal figure who seized the giant. A man who seemed even taller than Sebastian at first glance in heavy ballistic armor. The man had grabbed the doctor, who weighed very little in his condition, and for that split second, time seemed to stand still for the cautus and the giant.
Then the armored colossus smashed the doctor against the other wall, both of them passing through the thick concrete wall to what was outside and, above all, a free fall.
Amiya: Doktah!
The three of them rushed to the hole in the wall, only to find that the two had landed two floors below. The colossus in armour and the doctor, both in pain, slowly rose to their feet. Without further thought, Amiya threw herself through the opening. Driven by the desire to protect the Doctor, she acted before thinking. Just as the doctor had done when he pushed her out of the way just after he'd woken up.
She landed right next to the doctor on the flat concrete roof, facing the man in armor.
Sebastian: Ah hell...
The giant looked at the girl beside him, who nodded, looking confident, as if to say, I'm here. The cold city air caressed their skins, a few snowflakes and ash brushed against them, but both were too focused on their confrontation to see the city in chaos around them. The doctor took a deep breath and raised his fists again. Amiya raised her hand, concentrating her arts.
She couldn't leave the doctor to fight alone. The colossus advanced straight towards them, running but at a much slower speed because of his weight. Amiya shot at him, hitting him right in the knee, stopping him in his tracks, but the heavy armor he wore protected him from injury all the same.
The doctor lunged at his enemy and began pelting him with punches. But all had as much effect as mosquito bites because of his armor. The colossus finally grabbed both the doctor's hands, and in the face of his overwhelming strength, Sebastian struggled as best he could, but his opponent held firm. Amiya attacked again with his arts, with a perfect shot straight into the colossus' helmet, and Sebastian followed it up with a headbutt, sending him a few steps away.
Big C: Little shit...
The colossus charged at the giant again and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground and continuing his run. Sebastian did his best to fight back, but the strength of his opponent and his armor were enough to contain the giant. The armored man reached Amiya and slapped her with the back of his hand, hard enough to send her flying to the side, knocking her off the roof. The giant was alarmed, and opened his mouth wide, biting his attacker's hand with all his might, causing him to let go.
Sebastian: Amiya!
Dying of worry for the cautus, he ran to the edge of the roof to see that she had landed just behind a low wall on the slope of a large glass roof; the glass had not shattered under her featherweight, but she was still unconscious from the attack. She was beginning to slide down the slope, and he could see that if she kept going she'd end up falling through broken glass for a fall of some twenty meters.
Just as he was about to pounce towards the cautus, he heard footsteps behind him. At the last moment, he shifted and stretched out his leg, kicking his opponent, who fell over the low wall onto a pane of glass that shattered instantly under his weight, knocking him down.
Sebastian: Dumbass...
Then his attention returned to the girl who was sliding faster and faster down the slope, the giant stepped over the low wall in a flash and slid along the canopy to catch up with the girl, catching her while she was still unconscious, he deflected her from her course, while he fell into one of the holes in the canopy but clung to the edge. On the other side of the glass, he watched Amiya finish her slide by landing on a flat part of the ceiling canopy.
He breathed a deep sigh of relief before pulling himself up onto the ledge without too much difficulty.
The girl opened her eyes and straightened up, watching the giant coming towards her.
Amiya: Doktah...?
The structure was shaking, apparently much more fragile there, and the giant became aware of this and walked slowly towards her.
Sebastian: Don't move...
He approached ever more slowly until the cautus looked down and appeared shocked, the doctor doing the same. Down below were more and more enemy troops, some with crossbows, and slowly they both saw who was on the roof.
Sebastian: Stay calm...
He approached a little more quickly, and as the crossbowmen raised their weapons and fired, Sebastian threw himself forward as the glass beneath the cautus exploded, sending it tumbling into the void, but the giant caught her by the hand before she could fall. He didn't even have time to catch his breath before his glass was hit too, and both fell, the cautus screaming.
His panic-stricken body boosted his reflexes and enabled him to grab hold of the girl in mid-air, before righting himself to land on his feet. He held on, his bones and muscles cushioning the fall without injury, the concrete cracking on the ground. The cautus looked into her savior's eyes, blushing to be in his arms. The giant leapt to the side, dodging more and more crossbow bolts, bringing the cautus with him to safety behind a wall.
And finally they both had a moment to breathe. Sebastian looked at the cautus as he breathed as if he'd just run a hundred kilometer.
Then he laughed.
The girl looked at him, even in a situation like this, he could find the energy to laugh. She looked at him and quickly began to laugh lightly too, relieving her stress.
Sebastian: I hope Guard and Medic will be able to join us...
He heard footsteps coming from a corridor near them, and expected the worst, until a young woman came towards them. She wasn't wearing the colors Amiya had with his colleagues, nor those of the enemy, and had wolf-like features.
Amiya: Miss Texas!
Texas pic.
The young woman came over to the two of them.
Sebastian: Reinforcements at last...
Texas: Amiya. Did you get the doctor back?
She said, looking at the giant, unsure of who he was.
Amiya: Yes... But now we find ourselves in a complicated situation...
The hospital atrium was divided into three parts, the part where they were was empty and was the lowest part, the others were straight behind the wall where they were standing, connected by large staircases. The other two were teeming with soldiers.
Texas: Dobermann and A4 are on the other side. They should be launching the assault at any moment.
Sebastian: Then we can catch them on the back foot...
Suddenly, the sounds of fighting began to echo from the other side of the atrium, and soon he heard gunfire.
Thank God, finally, someone with a gun, thought the giant. He just hoped it was his allies.
Texas: It's time! Let's go !
Big C: Group one! You stay on top! Push them back into the corridors! Group two! With me, I want the heads of those two bastards!
The giant and the cautus both recognized the voice as that of the juggernaut they had been grappling with a few moments ago.
Sebastian: Damn, he managed to survive his fall...
Says the giant, at once annoyed, impressed and a little frightened.
Amiya: That's not good...
Texas: Looks like a Lieutenant.
Sebastian: Hey Texas, there are about twenty of them, can you take care of them while we get the big one?
The giant looked her straight in the eye, serious. The young woman didn't give much away, even appearing rather cold. She thought about it for a moment.
Texas: It's a challenge, but yes.
Sebastian: Okay...
The giant took a slight glance and could see that a well-organized phalanx was descending the stairs, soldiers with swords and shields covering the descending crossbowmen, while some soldiers wearing long robes and with nothing in their hands remained on the heights. The doctor couldn't assume that they were mages like Amiya.
Texas: We could use a distraction...
The giant looked around him, the gears in his brain turning to see a medicine cart nearby. He approached it and found a plastic bottle, and the two young women watched in curiosity as he mixed different products and medicines together. Then he returned to them with his little plastic bottle as the enemies drew ever closer.
Texas: What is that?
Sebastian: A hospital is a chemist's paradise... You'd better cover your eyes, quick and well.
The man began to shake the plastic bottle, which quickly began to glow, understanding what was happening they covered their eyes before it was too late and the giant threw the plastic bottle.
*bang*
Soldier 1: AAAAAHHH!
Soldier 2: MY EYES! I CAN'T SEE!
The two young women reopened their eyes and all three threw themselves forward to see their enemies almost paralyzed by the flash of light. But the behemoth quickly came to, the glass of his heavy helmet tinted enough to mitigate the effects. The giant thought nothing of it and cut through the enemy soldiers before seizing the behemoth in an impressive display of strength - he lifted the man off the ground and ran on, smashing him against a concrete wall and away from his men. Amiya followed him, running much faster than anyone else here, while Texas began to kill the blinded enemies.
The giant began to pummel his opponent with his fists, Amiya pulling at the few openings the giant left.
Then the man in armour retaliated, delivering a simple uppercut to the giant which hurled him straight at Amiya, the two combatants colliding and falling heavily to the ground, rising as the colossus cleared the debris from his armour.
Sebastian: I'm fucking fed up, I have to weigh your weight...
He said, still not adjusting to his muscular atrophy. Normally he was supposed to be 100kg heavier after all.
Sebastian: How are you?
The cautus quickly stood up, slightly offended.
Amiya: Okay... Everything's fine doktah...
Sebastian: Come on, it's time to get it over with.
She nodded silently, a foreign confidence filling her.
The giant took a deep breath and approached the slow-walking colossus, the other doing the same.
The clash of the titans happened in a fraction of a second, the colossus threw a punch, but the giant remained more mobile, dodge and struck, in one of the weaknesses of his opponent's armor with his outstretched fingers. Once he withdrew his hand, Amiya fired a projectile, right where the giant had struck.
It was an exchange of super-powered punches, so fast they were hard to see, with Amiya working her arts at full throttle to increase her rate of fire, aiming each time at the places Sebastian had hit. The armored colossus endured this monstrous assault for several seconds, before letting out an angry howl.
He grabbed the giant's skull with both hands and delivered a phenomenal headbutt that made the good doctor see stars. He didn't stop there, following up with a kick to the chest, which the giant managed to block with his forearms, but which still sent him reeling backwards.
Then the giant looked at the armored colossus, and grinned. In a way of saying, I've won.
Big C: What, you're having fun?
The doctor pointed to a flare he had in his hand, the enemy soldier realizing that Sebastian had taken it from him without him realizing it. He thought it didn't matter, until the giant pulled something out of his pocket and threw it straight at the colossus.
Armed with his reflexes, the man smashed what had been sent to him, some sort of small jars, without a care in the world. But what was he playing at?
That smell?
Alcohol.
The giant uncapped the flare and hurled it at the colossus, who burst into flames instantly, screaming in pain. Amiya was surprised to learn that the doctor was also a clever fighter.
He rose to his feet and strode towards the colossus in his now weakened armor due to the heat. Anger coursed through his veins, the energy of battle filled his muscles, and the will to finish polluted his mind. His heart began to beat faster and faster, filling his body with ever more strength, his brain quickening the pace.
The giant threw himself forward much faster than a few seconds ago, striking the flaming foe again and again, his fists resisting flame and shock alike. Then, on the hundredth punch and tenth second, the giant delivered a phenomenal blow to his opponent's skull, weakening the helmet.
Sebastian grabbed his opponent's head with both hands, pulled back his own, and delivered a thunderous headbut that echoed across the room, shattering his opponent's helmet and presumably his skull, sending him tumbling to the floor.
Sebastian: And stay there you bitch!
He said out of breath and energy, falling to the ground.
Amiya: Doktah!
Sebastian: I'm fine... I've... Damn it, after all this I want a shower, a drink and a bed.
The cautus took a moment to look at the man on the ground in front of her. He was smiling again.
Despite the hellish battles, all the blows he'd received and all this despite his abominable physical condition, the doctor seemed to be doing well if not for the fact that he was tired. Not having shed a single drop of blood.
He still seemed kind. But he also seemed to have become a more than ferocious fighter. The girl smiled too.
At least the giant, even with amnesia, wasn't a thorn in their side.
Sebastian: How are you?
He said, turning his gaze to the lupo coming towards them.
Texas: Half of them were blind. That was easy.
The sounds of clashes higher up had stopped for a while, to be replaced by the sound of footsteps on the stairs. The first person to catch the doctor's eye was a woman at the head of the group ahead of them.
She seemed to have animal attributes too, a dog to be precise.
?: Amiya! Are you all right? There was this big light and noises-
She stopped with the doctor at her feet, only noticing him at the last moment.
Their eyes met and she remained silent.
Sebastian took a moment to look at her. She was probably the oldest person here. She exuded a certain authority and uprightness that reminded the giant of the army. In a way, she reminded him of the drill sergeants. But behind her chocolate-colored eyes, he could detect a certain kindess.
Dobermann pic
A/N: Underrated waifu
Sebastian: Hi.
The perro looked at him for a second or two.
?: Doctor?
The giant leapt to his feet, showing energy and agility, and stood upright. The first surprise was his small movement, but the biggest surprise was his sheer size, even the perro seemed unsettled for a moment. Amiya came right up beside him, while further away medic and the guard arrived.
Amiya: Mrs. Dobermann! You are well...
Dobermann: Hm. As soon as we heard that reunion was approaching the hospital we rushed over. I see you've got the doctor back. Well, now that that's settled, the sooner we can get back, the sooner the doctor can work on a cure for oripathy.
Sebastian: What is oripathy?
The giant felt as if he'd insulted the mother of everyone here, let alone Dobermann.
Dobermann: This is a joke, right?
Amiya: Dobermann, things didn't go as planned... Doktah... Has amnesia.
The group of Dobermann seemed quite shocked by the news, and for a moment the perro wondered if she should believe it, before pinching her nose and sighing.
Dobermann: All for nothing...
She said angrily. The giant lowered his head. He felt ashamed. All these people seemed to be pinning so many hopes on him for some reason, so much seemed to depend on him. And yet he remembered nothing. He couldn't even remember why they called him doctor.
He felt like a weight. A ball and chain. The city outside looked like it was on the brink of war. They'd had to put so much at stake and make so many efforts to be able to find and save him.
And yet all he could do for them was fight, weakened by his cadaveric condition.
He clenched his fist, his nails digging into his skin.
He felt a hand touch his arm, and looked beside him to see Amiya comforting him.
Amiya: Are you okay doktah?
Sebastian: I'm sorry Amiya...
Amiya: It's not your fault... Oripathy... It's a terrible disease. Me, medic, guard, Dobermann... We all have it here. Incurable and deadly.
The cautus gave a look to the perro, who rolled up her sleeve, showing black crystals running through her skin.
Sebastian: Lord...
He exclaimed, grasping her hand with the utmost delicacy.
Sebastian: Does it hurt?
The instructor was about to withdraw her hand suddenly. She didn't want to be touched, but when she looked at the giant, and more particularly at his eyes, she understood that he wasn't asking this question with the sickly curiosity of a child.
His large emerald eyes were filled with pain and compassion.
Dobermann: After a while you get used to the pain...
She said, withdrawing her hand and hiding her crystals.
Dobermann: You and Dr. Kal'tsit were the best researchers on oripathy. But now that you have amnesia, I doubt you'll be of any use again...
She seemed pragmatic, and honest about how she felt. The giant couldn't blame her - she was right, after all.
Amiya: Dobermann, you're too harsh on the doctor!
The perro, surprised by the girl's irritation, gasped for a moment, then looked at the doctor, who had a tortured look on his face.
Amiya: That explosion of light was made by doktah! If he still has some knowledge of chemistry, then all is not lost.
The giant felt touched. Perhaps the cautus believed in him more than he believed in himself.
Amiya: And if he's retained his command capabilities, then the Doctor will still be as useful as ever. We can't afford to lose hope!
Everyone turned to the doctor, who took a deep breath.
Sebastian: listen everyone, I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. Right now, I feel like I woke up fifteen minutes ago and I've already killed about fifty people, so all I've got in my head right now are questions.
For once, the doctor thought a little about himself. Fed up with being so ignorant about everything around him.
Amiya: Go on doctor...
Sebastian: Are we the good guys?
The girl looked at him.
He would have expected a simple answer from her, she was only a child after all, but she seemed to demonstrate a maturity far greater than her size and youthful appearance would suggest.
Amiya: I don't know if we're the good guys. Or if there really are bad guys... We're part of Rhodes Island. A pharmaceutical company, we're looking for a cure to oripathy. People like us who have contracted oripathy are called the infected.
Dobermann: Vermin... That's what we are to others.
Amiya: Some are oppressed because of their oripathy. And we're also working to improve living conditions for the infected across Terra.
Sebastian: Are you oppressed... because of an illness?
Once again, the giant was disgusted by what his beloved humanity was capable of.
Amiya: In some countries it's minimal, but in others, like here in Ursus, the infected are shot on sight or sent to forced labor camps. This is the origin of all those you've faced so far. The reunion is a movement of the infected whose aim is to free the infected, by any means possible.
He frowned.
Sebastian: It's not easy, is it...?
Those who just wanted to be free, and those who didn't want to hurt anyone.
Clearly, he'd had a short summary. Of a situation that was beyond him. He looked around him, these people were suffering, not only from their illness, but from what the world was imposing on them because of it.
The giant was already seized with an irrepressible urge to help them. But not only did they want to put themselves out of their misery, they wanted to put all the other infected out of their misery.
Once again, his eyes sought out Amiya's. And he had no doubts.
He didn't believe in fate.
But when he saw that face, and that look, he didn't allow himself to think. This was where he belonged, by their side, he knew. They all seemed to have hopes for him, even though he had amnesia. They needed him.
And the doctor would be there for them. He swore it inside himself.
Sebastian: Rhodes Island is it...? Putting an end to suffering. That's a noble goal. I'm with you, and I promise to do everything I can to help you.
He said, clenching his fist proudly. Some looked at his eyes. Maybe his body was weak, seemingly ready to fly away at the slightest gust of wind, but it was his eyes that showed his will, and the spirit behind it. Unruffled, unperturbed, he had made his choice. He would stand by them. No matter what.
Dobermann was the most impressed, to see such a flame of will, shining in a shattered mind and atrophied body.
Sebastian: Okay second question, why does everyone have animal ears except me?
He looked around, and a few people laughed, even Dobermann merely exhaled. Which was a lot already due to her stern nature.
Dobermann: Terra is inhabited by a variety of races with different traits. But one person in a million has a rare genetic mutation that causes them to be born 'raceless'. You're raceless, Doctor.
Sebastian: 'Good at least I'm not a damn cat boy…' Oh I see... So, Dobermann is a dog, Medic is a raccoon, and Amiya...
He slammed his fist into his palm, as if struck by an illumination.
Sebastian: is a donkey!
Amiya: I'm not a donkey!
She said, suddenly flushed with embarrassment and anger.
Amiya: I'm a rabbit!
The few witnesses to the scene thought they were hallucinating when they saw Dobermann, who seemed amused. Her features had never looked so soft as at that moment, due to the actions of the two in front of her.
Dobermann: Different races have different names, but for now you can stick to animals. But there's more to it than that.
She said, shifting her position, giving Sebastian a view of the team accompanying her.
Sebastian: Oh sorry I didn't speak to you earlier. You are?
Yato: I'm Yato, leader of assault team 4. Nice to meet you, Doctor.
Says the young woman wearing a mask and carrying a sword. No animal features on this one, but she did have demon horns protruding from her forehead.
Then the rest of the team entered.
12F: 12F. Caster. Hi.
Sober, that one. He appeared to be a lizard man. But more lizard than man.
Noir Corne: Yo doctor! I'm Noir corne! But you can call me noir! It's great to finally see you, didn't expect you to be so tall!
Sebastian laughed lightly.
Rangers: My name is Rangers, and it's a pleasure to meet you.
Another lizard man, presumably albino and elderly, greeted him.
Durin: ...
Sebastian: ...
Was she a child? Probably not, given her curves. Or just a midge?
Yato: Excuse her. Her name is Durin.
Noir Corne: She sleeps awake...
Sebastian: I see...
A4 team pic
Yato : We're at your service, Doctor.
The giant nodded. He accepted his new appointment as commander without a second thought.
Sebastian: Thanks for placing your trust in me.
Dobermann: Now that the introductions are over, we'd better get going. Reunio is all over town and the city guard is about to be overwhelmed.
Sebastian: Good, I'm sick of hospitals. Just, does anyone got a weapon for me?
The Dobermann group seemed curious. They hadn't noticed when the giant had said he'd killed fifty people.
Dobermann: You're not going to fight, are you?
Amiya: Dobermann, the doctor is actually a remarkable fighter!
Texas: Hm. He's the one who beat that lieutenant there. Ah by the way I have to go, I'm needed somewhere else.
Garde: And he also beat up a lot of guys in a hallway!
Medic: Guard...
She looked into the doctor's eyes for a moment. Assessing him.
She saw the same thing she saw in her mirror, the look of a soldier.
The perro sighed, and pulled something from his back. The giant opened his eyes wide, as did those beside him.
Dobermann: All I have is this.
In her hands she held a rather massive pistol and two magazines.
It was Christmas.
Amiya: You killed a sankta?!
The woman seemed proud of herself for a moment.
Dobermann: Heh. I took him by surprise. But I doubt you can do anything with it-
Sebastian: I'll take it.
He seized the weapon in a flash. A weapon he recognized immediately.
A Grizzly mk4. Chambered in 44 magnum.
A Colt M1911, but even bigger.
Per-fect.
He checked the weapon and put it on his belt. He paid no attention to the reaction of others around him.
Sebastian: Are we ready to go?
Guard: Communications are still blocked! Impossible to find out where the other teams are.
Amiya: Damn... And danger lurks around every corner...
The cautus turned to the doctor.
Amiya: I know it's a lot... And especially in such a short time... But doctor please direct us. Lead Rhodes Island!
To be continued
A/N: That's the end. Rather long for a first chapter. Welcome to this adventure for anyone reading this for the first time. As for the old-timers who are rediscovering this chapter, I hope I did a pretty good job rewriting it. It's something that turns out to be extremely complex... At least for me.