2 days after the battle of Lungmen.
A certain sarkaz was lying in her bed in the middle of the night. Her clothes discarded next to her bed amidst the explosives and other mercenary tools she left in a mess in her room. A simple white t-shirt and way too big on her as a nightgown. The background noise of the television didn't usually prevent her from sleeping... And yet on this night she couldn't get to sleep. She was squirming in her bed with a heavy breath escaping from her lips.
Her mind was foggy, and her skin had become so sensitive that she felt like she was going to burn. W was half hallucinating, alone in her bed. She got on her back, and one of her hands that was on her stomach instinctively went to her lower parts. Her fingers began to dance across her own skin at the most sensitive places on her body. Of course she was awake enough to know what was happening to her.
Her season had arrived... And slightly early.
Something she had lost the habit of enduring.
Three quarters of her seasons had come without her having any partners that were even remotely interesting to her, so these were just another day for her while the other sarkaz were getting drunk on sexual appetite. Even if some of her seasons she had spent with someone else...
The one person she had never loved on this planet.
Something she always remembered but would never admit to.
She could still remember that night, when her first season had struck when she had just taken orders from her queen. She had walked halfway across the base to her queen's room, half-naked in the middle of the night, dodging every person in the hallways, only to knock on her door.
She could still remember the feeling of her skin against hers. Of the joy she had felt when the great queen of the sarkaz Theresa had accepted a simple mercenary as her lover...
W could still see her face at times, on those nights full of passion.
That was what the mercenary did not understand.
Since her death three years ago never her seasons had struck her. Even when she was with the reunion at the beginning of the winter, her season had not declared themselves. And yet here she was, in bed at three in the morning writhing from an insatiable hunger that coursed through her body.
She needed someone there with her right away.
And through the haze of her mind she could picture someone by her side, to keep her company through her season. She saw a man with her... Tall, muscular... Some scars present on his skin. But through her hallucinations brought on by desire she couldn't quite grasp who the man she was dreaming of might be. But she wanted to. More than her reason, her bestial instincts had taken control of her mind and she could not think of anything else.
And while her appetite was growing and her fingers were moving at a more and more frantic pace, she was finally able to put a face on the body of the man she wanted.
And of course this face.
It was that of Sebastian.
At the moment when she perceived this face in her hallucinations, W froze and was completely awake. Then she was seized with an immense anger towards herself after the initial phase of shock. Why was she dreaming about this asshole she hated so much? Why was he activating her season when she didn't like him?
It disgusted her.
Her reproductive instincts made her attracted to that man even though her mind hated him.
Annoyed she lay on her side, keeping her hands to herself instead of giving herself pleasure. She refused to keep doing this with the doctor in mind, even though the thought of it remained in her head. W figured she'd rather spend her night without sleep and stay the next four weeks in heat than quench that fire of passion and libido inside her body with the doctor.
The rest of the night passed without her closing her eyes.
Sebastian: *sigh*
Silverash: My friend?
Sebastian: Hm?
The doctor was brought back to reality by the voice of the man behind his back and turned to him, raising an eyebrow.
Silverash: You've been sighing for a while now. Is everything all right?
The two were in the good doctor's quarters. Sebastian was in his kitchen, making coffee. The other man was sitting in a chair, facing the room table, a chessboard in front of him. Several moves were already underway. It was shortly after noon.
Sebastian: Yes, it's okay... I'm just thinking about the last two days... And the ones to come. Queen in A1.
The doctor formulated his move and the feline without further thought moved the pawn of his opponent who had his back to him before making his next move himself.
Silverash: It's true that you still have a few days before joining the L.G.D... But you were thinking about the two days of parties?
The giant felt the smirk of his friend on his back.
Sebastian: Aye. Queen to B2. Do you want a coffee?
Silverash: Sure...
Sebastian: I said B2 Enciodas. Not C3.
The doctor turned slightly and frowned, immediately noticing that his opponent wanted to cheat. The surprised feline pretended nothing had happened and put the queen in D2. Surprised that his opponent could tell which pawn he was moving and where simply by the sound and movement of the air.
Sebastian: But yes... The last two days between the party we organized at the base for the success of the mission and the one just before I did with the L.G.D...
The giant served two cups of coffee in front of him, and remembering how his friend liked it he added milk and sugar for him. Then he walked to the table and put the cups in front of them both.
Silverash: You came back looking like a corpse...
The giant raised an eyebrow.
Sebastian: Did we meet that day?
Silverash: Yes, Sebastian... We saw each other...
The feline said, incredulous that his friend did not remember.
Sebastian: Sorry... It's just that the alcohol really attacks my memory...
Silverash: I can see that... And that's what makes you sigh.
Sebastian: No, it's more the waking up the first night that makes me despair...
Silverash: Oh oh? What happened?
Sebastian: Are you my friend?
Silverash: Of course.
Sebastian: If I tell you, will you promise not to tell anyone?
Silverash: Of course.
Sebastian: Well, I woke up... in a love hotel room... completely ruined. Naked. With no memory of what happened. And with traces of lovemaking absolutely fucking everywhere... And apparently I've been at it a few dozen times according to the little evidences I left behind.
The giant took a sip of his coffee while the feline looked him in the eyes, these last ones widened, then Silverash burst out laughing, folded in two at the anecdote of his friend.
Sebastian: I spent the next day doing tests... And luckily I didn't catch anything... But I was so stressed that I was sweating like crazy...
Silverash: By the great Kjeragandr... Doctor but... You are so stressed out with your work that you released all the pressure in one night?
Sebastian: Shut up...
Silverash: Anyway, if you've been going all night it could be a lung.
Sebastian: A lung?
he asked as a drop of sweat beaded on his forehead.
Silverash: Yes a lung. Or a draco, or a vouivre... Or even a cautus... Their libidos sometimes far exceed those of the sarkazs during their seasons. And with lung season coming up next week...
Sebastian: Oh shit...
Silverash: Wait, weren't you with the famous L.G.D leader? Who by the way is a lung...?
The feline says, a smile appearing more and more on her lips.
Sebastian: No, it can't be that... We hate each other... And it's mutual. And then I got confirmation from a friend that I left the bar alone...
Silverash: So I guess what happened is not important...
Sebastian: I hope that's the case...
Silverash: By the way, about my sisters-
Sebastian: I won't get your sisters pregnant.
Sebastian immediately made a move on the board and placed his bishop in F1.
Enciodas looked at the board and realized after a few seconds that no matter what he did he was going to lose, and he could also realize that the doctor had planned this from the very beginning.
He looked the doctor in the eye.
Silverash: You bastard... You could at least let me finish my sentences.
The giant smiled, knowing full well that he had just beaten him.
Sebastian: No need to when I know exactly what you are going to say ...
Silverash: Now that I think about it. About Victoria, you had a good idea, I was told that my troops should be home later this year. And that saves me a lot of time, so thank you.
Sebastian: You're welcome. After all I can help you. You are my friend after all, right Enciodas?
The feline thought about it, and smiled.
Silverash: Of course you are my friend Sebastian...
After the feline finished speaking, the doctor's phone started to ring, seeing that it was W's number, he frowned before picking it up, thinking that there were two reasons why she was calling him. Either she wanted to play a joke on him, or she had a problem. So in doubt he picked up.
Sebastian: Hello?
W: Doc... help... I- I just got stabbed...
Immediately he began to panic instinctively and a drop of sweat beaded on his forehead.
Sebastian: Where are you?
W: My quarters...
Sebastian: I'm coming.
Immediately the giant hung up his phone and stood up from his chair.
Silverash: What's going on?
Sebastian: An emergency. I have to go, sorry!
He said as he started to run towards the exit taking his sword from the coat rack before starting to run through the corridors of Rhodes Island.
Silverash: I guess I'll close the door behind me...
Several people could see the giant running through the corridors with his sword in his hand and despite their surprise they ignored this. The doctor doing many surprising things...
A few dozen seconds was all he needed to reach the sarkaz's room.
He looked at the door of the room to see it closed and locked. He frowned and knocked hard enough against the door that it shook and after a few seconds nothing happened. So he pushed the armored door open, and took his sword with both hands expecting people to be there.
Then ready to fight, he looked around. The room was rather dirty and dark, weapons and explosives everywhere. In short, what he expected from the mercenary.
W: Did you really just broke down my door?
The surprised giant heard the voice of the sarkaz. He looked over to the couch in the room to see her sitting down, watching a movie on TV. But with an ugly face...
W: And what are you doing with your sword doc? There's nobody here but me...
The embarrassed giant coughed to try to distract attention, before putting his sword against the wall.
Sebastian: Oh uh... I thought I saw a spider...
The still worried giant approached the sarkaz and looked at her more closely. She didn't seem to be hurt at first but that was without counting her face dripping with sweat and pain, and the smell of blood was in the air.
W: It's on my back...
The giant nodded and the sarkaz lifted herself off the couch showing a large bloodstain on the leather and on her back. She had already taken off her black jacket and it showed a huge red stain on her back and a trace of a knife cut. The giant saw this and went to get the regulation medical kit that was in all the rooms, he brought it and approached the sarkaz.
W knelt down on the couch with her back to Sebastian, and the giant approached and sat down on the couch and opened the medical kit.
W: Twelve centimeters. Straight blade, five centimeters wide.
Sebastian: A combat knife... What in God's name happened...?
W: What do you want me to say... Someone here stabbed me.
Sebastian: Who did this to you? And why?
He asked, first angry at whoever had hurt one of his operators. And then angry at the mercenary because he was pretty sure the woman had some influence on what happened.
W: Just a Rhodes Island random... I had to run an errand to the engine room...
The giant was analyzing the sarkaz's wound carefully.
W: And then I met another sarkaz there... He told me that his brother had died in one of my squads before your amnesia. Another mission that went sour. I just told him I didn't even know who he was. So once my back was turned he just shanked me...
Sebastian: Where was he, in the engine room ?
The doctor asked through gritted teeth as he began to lift the young woman's sweater. The young woman could see that he was mad with rage. And she understood why, the doctor hated it when his operators were hurt, even when it was her... And it was a safe bet that right now the only thing he wanted to do was to head straight for the engine room and break some skulls. She almost appreciated the fact that he showed he gave a damn about her.
W: You think I'm going to tell you? I beat the crap out of him anyway before I came back here...
Sebastian: You're not mad at him?
W: He has every right to kill me if he wants, I won't stop him.
Surprised at first by her words, his eyes went to her wound. Right behind the chest, the left lung was affected, but what intrigued him was that the wound had gone through white bandages and the doctor saw that they were there to act as a bra.
Sebastian: I'll have to cut the bandages off.
W: Okay.
She turned to him at the last moment and gave him a murderous look.
W: But don't try anything funny.
Sebastian: Like I'm going to... I'm still a doctor.
He said offended, before grabbing the pair of scissors from the medical kit, to cut the bloody bandages that fell off and which he picked up to roll into a ball, paying little attention to the young woman's body to concentrate on her wound.
Sebastian: That reminds me. Why did you call me?
W: No one else would have came.
As he soaked a cotton ball with disinfectant he looked into her surprised eyes.
Sebastian: They are more doctors than I am.
W: But they hate me much more than you do. If I had called them, they would have ignored me, erased the traces of the call and prayed for me to bleed to death.
Sebastian: It's not pretty. But luckily it was your left lung that got hit...
W: At least once in my life this fucking oripathy will have helped me.
Sebastian: Your right lung will take over. So once again I recommend you to quit smoking and even more this time.
W: I have decided to stop.
He raises an eyebrow when she doesn't respond.
W: For good.
Sebastian: I can finally stop chasing you...
The giant got up from the couch and W almost turned around before a slight breeze reminded her that she was topless. He went to get his sword and returned to the couch. Putting his sword on his knees, he took his hands and put them delicately in the back of the sarkaz. She gasped at the touch of his cold hands on her warm skin, but the feeling soothed her strangely.
Sebastian: Lord, may your iron will to save us illuminate the path ahead, and pierce the path of darkness to this poor soul with a broken body in front of me.
When he finished speaking, the photons around him concentrated around the sword's originium in strings of solid light, then these strings went to his hands, passing under the skin and up to the wound, to the inside of it.
The blood vessels and tissues regenerated and reconnected at least inside the wound avoiding the immediate danger. Also soothing the pain of the sarkaz.
Sebastian: Good... I can stitch.
He put his sword on the ground and took out the needle and thread.
Sebastian: You're going to have quite a mark on your couch...
W: That's one of the reasons I got it in leather... It's one of the only things I know how to get blood stains out of.
Sebastian: Well, you'll have a lot of work to do... With my arts you shouldn't be in too much pain...
He said as he inserted the needle and indeed, the sarkaz didn't feel anything.
W: Hey doc.
Sebastian: Hm ?
W: Thanks. For coming...
Sebastian: That's my job.
W: Tch. Liar. You expect me to believe that if it had been someone who tried to hurt Nearl or Amiya but was part of Rhodes Island who called you, you would have answered?
He remained silent knowing that the sarkaz had made a point.
Sebastian: Then I guess we're a pair. You get me to help you when I hate you, and I get you to help me when all you want to do is reach for the knife in the couch and slit my throat.
W: Yeah we're one hell of a pair...
The giant cut the thread as he finished his stitches, cleaning and disinfecting one last time over them.
Sebastian: We need a bandage.
He said as he handed her a roll, the young woman seemed to want to move her arms but the wound hurt making her stop her action.
W: Eh eh... I think I need another hand... And here again don't try anything.
The good doctor sighed and stretched the bandage as he closed his eyes.
Sebastian: Let me know if it's too tight.
He began to wrap the bandage around the young woman's chest, tightening it a little as her heart rate remained steady.
W: Harder...
He froze.
Sebastian: Please don't say that right now...
The young woman understood and started to blush slightly, taking care that he would not be able to see it if he opened his eyes.
W: Tighten a little more...
He pulled it tighter, then tied a knot with the bandage.
Sebastian: That's it. Can I open my eyes again?
W: Perfect. But wait a little longer.
He heard her get up and walk further into the room before hearing the sound of clothes. He sat more comfortably on the sofa, especially when he began to hear something on the TV, he listened to the movie playing for a few seconds and recognized it immediately so he opened his eyes with a smile on his lips, starting to watch carefully. W came back to the couch with a new, clean sweater, then started to watch the movie on TV.
W: Have you ever seen it?
Sebastian: It's one of my favorite movies.
W: Really? I wouldn't have bet that musicals would be your genre...
Sebastian: It's not. But I think it's really a masterpiece.
The sarkaz sat on the sofa next to the doctor and turned up the sound by taking the remote control, both of them settling more comfortably.
Lungmen, 2:41 p.m., World's End Bar.
The members of Penguin Logistics were in their bar, the big penguin boss was sitting on one of the stools... Or rather standing on it to be able to reach the counter level. The counter behind which was Texas who had just put a glass of alcohol in front of her boss before going back to playing barmaid and wiping down more glasses. Lappland was lying on one of the bar couches, relaxing while staying within reach of her wolf-eared goddess. But the lupos weren't the only ones in their bar with their boss. Croissant was also there, the forte unloading crates of liquor and supplies for their bar that they had just received. Sora was sitting at the bar, writing song lyrics on a notepad while facing Texas. Once the penguin took a sip of his drink he put it down with a satisfied sigh.
Emperor: So, how did the mission go?
Texas: Good... For the most part.
Emperor: I can see that... Lapp doesn't even come back with a scratch...
He said, glancing at the white lupo who started to smile.
Lappland: I've been healed, that's why.
Emperor: So you finally accepted that someone was treating you?
Lappland: He left me no choice...
Texas: We did our job. Help Rhodes Island and the L.G.D. clear the town from reunion and rescue a kid named Misha. But Rhodes and the L.G.D. suffered their own losses.
Emperor: That's to be expected...
Texas: Even though the L.G.D. only lost a few minor casualties. But Rhodes lost their doctor Sebastian.
Emperor: Shit...
Sora: Hey, wasn't that doctor the guy who was close to Exia?
Asked the third lupo of the group visibly.
Croissant: Close? I thought she had a crush on him...
Texas sent an instinctive murderous look to Crescent and sighed again.
Texas: Yes... He's Exusiai's boss when she's on Rhodes Island...
Emperor: I don't understand... He looked pretty tough and there must have been people ready to protect him, what happened to him?
Lappland: He went up in smoke...
Emperor: What?
Texas: In the last battle he used his arts to heal all the allied troops, he did it too much and in the end he burned up... Only his bones were left.
Sora: Wow... And how is Exia holding up?
Texas: At the time she was pretty shaken up-
Exusiai: But now I'm perfectly fine!
The sankta suddenly walked into the bar and opened the door with a bang, her big smile on her lips and a bag over her shoulder.
Exusiai: Hi boss, hi girls~!
Texas: Exia? What's up with you?
Lappland: How's the doc?
Asked the lupo cutting Texas off, which was unusual, especially for her.
Exusiai: He's fine. Back on his feet and in great shape.
Texas' gaping mouth dropped the treat she almost always had in her mouth.
Texas: It was not more than bones that the old Rhodes Island lynx threw in a bag...
Exusiai: I agree with you on that, and yet I saw him this morning in perfect health and kicking the shit out of others during combat training... I don't know what voodoo magic that lynx used to bring him back from the dead but she did it and with effectiveness.
Lappland: I knew it...
The lupo raised her fist in the air in front of his eyes.
Lappland: That bastard is not allowed to die until I face him again...
The smile on her lips was completely crazy and bloodthirsty. All in all, Lappland saw the doctor the same way she did for Texas, but not to mention the years the two lupos knew each other unlike the doctor she had just met... This was one thing Texas perceived and surprised her.
Croissant: Oy... Lapp... What did their doc do to make you so angry...?
Lappland: I'm not angry. The doc is a wolf, a real killer, he pretends to be a nice guy, but inside he's a fucking wild beast... His smell... He stinks of blood from miles away... every time it enters my nostrils he makes me want to fight, to kill, to fight him to the death. But it also makes me want to-
Croissant: Thank you Lapp. I think I can understand now...
Sora: My god, we have a second case of acute Lapplanditis...
Emperor: So he is a fighter...
Exusiai: And not just a little. If it wasn't for him, Tex and Lapp would be eaten by worms at that time... You should have seen him fighting the Patriot, I saw the battle record on Rhodes Island. It was amazing...
Emperor almost choked on his glass of liquor when he heard the end of the dialogue, as did Sora, who dropped her pen, and Croissant, who came close to dropping one of the crates of alcohol but caught it at the last moment.
Emperor: HE DID WHAT?!
Sora: The Patriot?
Texas: Himself...
Lappland: And three times...
Emperor: But how did this guy get a doctor's degree...
Croissant: And why do you want to fight a guy like that Lapp?!
Emperor: Whatever... If he's still alive, why are you here with your stuff? Your contract isn't over yet...
Exusiai: I don't really know but from what I understand, Wei Yenwu got into some political trouble or something and the doc has to join the L.G.D. for a while...
Emperor: He's definitely a troublemaker, this guy.
Exusiai: And not just a little... But now Rhodes will be stuck in lungmen for a while, and since there's not much to do, the big bosses let me come back to P.L. until everything is settled.
Emperor: That's good because we have work to do. We have an errand to run in two hours.
Exusiai: Okay boss! I'll just drop my stuff off at my apartment and take care of it.
Emperor: By the way Exia.
Exusiai: Hm?
She raised her eyebrow, the one that wasn't hidden by her hair, wondering what her boss wanted.
Emperor: Your contract to help Rhodes fight. It's about to end in two weeks.
Exusiai: Again?
Emperor: Yep. You want to renew it?
Exusiai: Sure! Rhodes is great. I don't pay my bullets, I eat like I'm in a great restaurant, and the people are really cool.
Sora: And then there's that doctor you fell in love with.
Said the lupo with a sly smile on her lips and realizing what she had just said Exusiai started to blush profusely.
Exusiai: W-what?!
Croissant: Seriously Exia, you're so burnt out that anyone would find out by doing this kind of act, like us.
Sora: At least you got close to him?
Exusiai: Well...
The members of Penguin Logistics looked at each other.
Sora: Exia... You do something with your doctor that makes you different from the other girls to him right...?
Exusiai: Well, sometimes he comes to my room at night...
Lappland/Sora/Croissant: Oh~...
Said the members of Penguin Logistics in a playful tone, thinking that their gun-toting angel had not only finally found a romantic interest in someone, but had also become intimate with the person...
Exusiai: And we watch TV together and eat something and drink a little... Then he goes back to his room...
Immediately the three members of Penguin logistics who were rejoicing slapped their faces with their hands, their hopes shattered.
Sora: What was the closest contact you had with him?
Exusiai: He kissed me on the cheek once... And this morning I gave him a hug before I left...
Her words were slow to come out, because of all the embarrassment she was holding. Her face was redder than they had ever seen it.
Croissant: But what the hell...
Lappland: You're going to end up in the friendzone at one of his speeds... One day he's going to say "you're like my sister" while he's banging some other chick from Rhodes Island... I mean, you saw the number of girls after him ?
The sankta was startled and lowered her head.
Sora: You have to start asking yourself questions when it's the chick who's only had one other person in her life, who tells you such true things. Even me, the super cute idol... I've gone further romantically in my life than you have... And you're ten years older than me...
Exusiai: You kissed someone when you were in high school!
Sora: And that's already more than you...
Exusiai: Stop stirring the knife in the wound...
Emperor: I'm not going to wear my special wedding suit any time soon...
Texas looked at the whole scene with a bitter look, feeling herself in a rather bad mood. She couldn't put her finger on the feeling, but if she had to compare another feeling, it would be like someone had taken something precious from her...
W watched the credits roll, as tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, the sarkaz moved by the ending of the movie she had watched was having a hard time containing her tears and even harder to admit that she was crying over a sad ending to a romantic movie.
W: I swear, if you tell anyone... what happened... I will cut off what makes you a man...
The sarkaz looked at the giant who had been sitting next to her since the beginning of the movie, and surprisingly she could see that the doctor... was also crying. But ten times more than her, in fact he was crying almost as much as she could have imagined that he had just been told about Amiya's death or something like that...
W: Are you serious...?
She asked incredulously.
Sebastian: W-what? It's just so sad... Can you imagine that in the end they could have been together and at the same time fulfilling their dreams and in the end she ends up being an actress yeah, but married to the guy she hated at the beginning and he has his jazz club but he is all alone...
He said as more and more tears flowed from his eyes.
And that's when W noticed another weakness of the doctor's besides the spiders.
He was extremely sentimental, and even more so in front of a movie.
Sebastian: Fuck it, I'm tired of it, I want to take my mind off that thing...
The giant got up and left the room of the sarkaz, doing his best to camouflage the torrents of tears he had cried. Surprisingly W got up and followed him as the two continued their debriefing of the movie they had just seen while the doctor led the way to his quarters. And after what seemed like a short time they arrived at the doctor's quarters.
He opened the door and stopped his conversation with the mercenary abruptly when he felt a familiar presence in the room. He looked away to his bookcase to see Amiya, the girl seemingly looking at the books in the back rows of the doctor's collection. Surprised to hear the door open she stood up abruptly and looked at the doctor greeting him with a smile as usual.
Amiya: Hello dokutah.
And usually the doctor would have answered her instantly with a smile on his lips too. But instead he frowned at the girl. She had bags under her eyes, and seemed to be exhausted, both psychologically and physically.
Sebastian: Hey Amiya... are you ok?
Amiya: Oh yes...
Sebastian: Are you sure? It's been almost two days since anyone has seen you come out of your room...
In fact he knew she was not well. Who could ignore it... Since the end of the battle of Lungmen Amiya had isolated herself in her room only going out to the cafeteria. The doctor wanted more than a confirmation of her condition, he wanted explanations to remedy it. But of course she knew why she had been feeling sad and pathetic the last few days. The battle of Lungmen had left a deep mark on her mind. It had been useless. Or at least that was her resentment when she thought about it. She had not been able to help the doctor when he was battling his many enemies. He had even been forced to save her several times...
Why would she feel good after realizing that she couldn't save the person she loved the most, that she couldn't even help him...
Amiya: Yes. Everything is fine...
He immediately perceived the lie, even though he was not listening to the young woman's heartbeat. And in another situation he would have locked the door of his office in the second to confront the young woman and make her confess... But here he certainly couldn't with W accompanying him, and when he looked at the position of the sun in the sky he could tell that it was almost time for him to go do something else.
So he sighed as he put his sword in the coat rack before grabbing his coat and looking at the time on his oripathy monitor he gritted his teeth realizing he was late.
Sebastian: If you say so... I'm sorry I have to go. Misha is almost done with her complementary medical exams and I have to go get her.
Amiya: Oh...
The tone of her voice added a little more to the doctor's heartbreak.
Sebastian: Hey Amiya?
The cautus turned to him as she looked at the library.
Sebastian: Take care of yourself. Ah and bye W. That was fun.
The doctor left with his hands in his pockets, giving the sarkaz a smile. And when he was out of reach, W felt as if she had emerged from a trance and took a heavy breath. Immediately she wondered what had happened to her. She had just spent the afternoon watching a movie with the man she hated most in the world and then she had accompanied him as if they were friends to his room... All this without mentioning the fact that at the time she had spent an extremely pleasant moment... She clenched her fists and teeth wondering what was wrong with her, before sighing heavily.
Surely her season was playing tricks on her...
The sarkaz walked slowly inside the doctor's office.
Maybe she had to take something to help her let off some steam... Thanks to one of the secrets she had about the doctor... And about his important cultural collection...
She walked over to the library and crouched down in front of the last row of the bookcase to start looking at the special books she was interested in before grabbing one of her favorites...
Amiya let out a squeal that showed her surprise.
Name of god that her presence was discreet...
W had completely forgotten that the young cautus was there...
Next to her...
Looking for the same books in the library...
The two young women looked into each other's eyes, unsure of what to say.
After a few seconds Amiya looked away, at the book she was about to choose.
Amiya: 325089 huh...? Look at 370509... It's the whole translated version...
W was even more surprised. Normally only she knew about this little secret in the doctor's quarters... It was a safe bet that even he didn't know about it... So Amiya... The undisputed leader of Rhodes Island, the lovable bunny... That no one would think to look at books of debauchery... Let alone give advice.
W: T-thank you...
She looked at and clutched the book with the sacred code to confirm the cautus' words. And feeling that she should return the favor...
W: I guess what you need is cautus paired up tall man...?
Amiya: Hm.
W: Then take 360647... The end is happy and the art is not bad...
Amiya: Thank you.
The two women exchanged a look, both spotting towards each other, women of culture.
The doctor left for the corridors of Rhodes Island. And after a few minutes of trouble-free walking he arrived at the large open area of Rhodes Island that served as a square for the mini-mobile city. It was the way to the hospital for him... But on a bench in the shade of a tree he immediately noticed two ursine. Of course there was Misha, but also Rosa who was there with her, the woman and the girl chatting warmly.
The doctor approached them and raised his hand when Misha noticed him. Immediately a smile appeared on her lips as well as on Rosa's.
Sebastian: Hey hi Nat.
Rosa: Hello doctor.
She says with her best smile as usual.
Sebastian: So Misha, how did it go?
Misha: Yes, the doctors told me that I was healthy despite my oripathy... But that I was malnourished... I think that's how they say it... What does that mean?
Sebastian: It means that you don't eat well, Misha.
Misha: But I eat well when the doctor cooks... His food is good...
The older bear laughed slightly.
Rosa: No... Malnutrition is when you don't eat enough of certain things. For example, vegetables, fish, meat, fruit, for too long.
Sebastian: I don't think I'm wrong if I say that you didn't eat well in the slums...
Misha: Hm... I ate what I could find... But it was never as good as the doctor's food...
Sebastian: Mh mh... Thanks...
He said with a big smile happy with the compliments he was receiving.
Rosa: I agree with Misha. Your cooking is one of your many good points.
Sebastian: Rosa are you trying to make me blush?
He asked, looking at the young woman with a charming smile on his lips.
Rosa: I would like to see that so much...
Said she also showing a charming smile, almost seductive. Then Misha came to interrupt their moment by coughing slightly.
Misha: Doctor, Mrs. Natalya... You look like a married couple again...
The ursine blushed as she looked around discreetly to see that some of the civilians of Rhodes Island were looking at the trio like parents with their daughter. Lending little intention to her uniform similar to a high school girl of the high society. The giant cursed the bad habit they both had of doing their little charm game when people were around.
Sebastian: Well, I'm sorry girls, but I won't be there tonight.
In a perfectly synchronized way the bear ears on the heads of the two ursines lay down in disappointment and sadness.
Misha: Oh... Why...?
Sebastian: I have work tonight at another company in town. I should be back tonight...
Rosa: Rhine?
Sebastian: Yep.
Rosa: Tch... You know I don't like you working with them...
The young ursine says, used to be the secretary of the good doctor. And so used to his work.
Sebastian: I know Nat. But they pay well, and Rhodes really needs the money.
Rosa: I just want you to stay safe...
She says, tucking a strand of hair behind her human ear.
Misha: Doctor...? Are you going to do something dangerous?
Sebastian: No... Nothing bad is going to happen. Besides, you know me, right? Not even the whole Columbian army could stop me.
Said the good doctor, giving a thumbs up and a smile in the corner of his mouth reassuring the two ursines.
Sebastian: There's some leftover beef curry with rice in the fridge. I think you've watched me make enough food for you to heat it up.
Both young women began to drool as they imagined their meal for tonight.
Rosa: I don't regret not going to the cafeteria anymore...
Sebastian: It's okay what they do, it's not that bad... is it...?
Rosa: Comparing the cafeteria food with yours is like comparing a good neighborhood restaurant with the biggest restaurant in Victoria...
Sebastian: I see...
The young ursine got up from the bench and came to the doctor before hugging his leg.
Misha: Doctor, is it true that you are leaving in three days?
Sebastian: Yes...
Misha: I-I don't want you to leave...
She gripped the doctor's leg tighter, sniffing as if she were about to cry. Hearing this the doctor pulled her away from his leg to put his knee down and look into the girl's eyes, her gray orbs laden with red veins and tears.
Sebastian: Hey hey... Don't cry... I'm not leaving forever.
The girl was surprised but the tears finally began to flow from her eyes.
Misha: A-ah is that so...?
Sebastian: Yes... I just need to go work in the city with the L.G.D. To make sure that the reunion is no longer there to hurt people in the city. But I don't know when I'll be done.
Misha: You really don't know?
Sebastian: Two weeks... A month... Two at worst... And I'll be extremely busy.
Misha: Two months...?
Sebastian: At worst...
Misha: I don't want you to leave...
Sebastian: I have to do it.
Misha: Who will take care of me if you are not here?
Sebastian: Natalya, you still have a bunk in your dormitory, right?
Rosa: That's right.
Sebastian: There you go... I think the girls will welcome you. And then you have friends here, Amiya, Rosmontis... You won't be bored.
Misha: Thank you...
Sebastian: Come here...
The giant took the girl in his arms and hugged her tightly to comfort her, the girl drying her tears. After a few moments where the girl seemed to recharge her batteries of human warmth they separated. And the girl looked at him with tears in her eyes.
Sebastian: Don't worry, once I come back I'll make you my best meal.
He said with a smile on his lips.
Sebastian: And then if you really have a problem I might be able to free up some time...
The girl began to smile.
Misha: Eh eh... Thanks...
The giant stood up and looked at the older bear, the latter almost moved by the promiscuity between the doctor and the girl.
Sebastian: What worries me the most is that I was supposed to take you to class later this week, but it doesn't look like that will be possible...
Rosa: You mean you'll be replaced by another teacher?
She asked with a hint of disappointment.
Sebastian: It's not like we have someone to replace me... We don't have anyone, there's a reason why I was asked to be your teacher... Anyway I've prepared some tests for you to take to check you girls level, and I could prepare some homework for you and send it to you when I have some free time...
Rosa: Anyway...
He noticed that the young woman was embarrassed... And didn't seem to want to talk anymore.
Sebastian: Anyway what?
The ursine started to blush a lot.
Rosa: It doesn't make much difference anyway if you can't do our classes for a while...
Sebastian: Why not?
Rosa: Well... Ursins season is about to start... it usually lasts a little over three weeks... And since the majority of the students are ursins we have all been ordered to stay in our quarters. We were told that this was the standard isolation procedure for species during their seasons.
Sebastian: O-oh... I see...
The doctor too began to blush tremendously.
Misha: Is it that time of year when all the ursus are nice...? Brrrr... I remember that big sister Irina was always trying to find a lover at this time of the year...
Sebastian: Do you think it's okay if Misha stays with you?
Rosa: Yes. I don't think the other girls will mind...
Misha: Will I sleep with you?
Sebastian: Rooms are getting scarce Misha, and I can't give you one for yourself... Sorry.
Misha: Mh. It's okay, Mrs. Natalya and the others are very nice.
Said the ursine with an adorable smile on her lips as she looked at Rosa.
Sebastian: I'm glad to hear that. See you later, I still have work to do.
He said as he stroked the top of the bear's head, the girl enjoying the pat, knowing full well that she wasn't going to enjoy them anytime soon.
Misha: You'll be back soon, right?
Sebastian: Yes...
He stopped patting the top of her head and put his hands back in his pockets.
Sebastian: Goodbye girls.
Misha: Goodbye doctor...
Rosa: See you tomorrow doc.
With a smile on his lips, the good doctor left heading for the landing bay to reach the city. And as he disappeared once more into the corridors of the base he did not perceive the presence of a figure that was watching him from a tree.
A kuranta, perched in the foliage of one of the trees in the central square of Rhodes Island had watched the whole scene with amusement. Watching the young man that was the doctor take care of Misha as if she was his own daughter. And that's when she thought that maybe even if he was young in age, everything else about him was not...
Meteor: Interesting...
Maybe she should spend a little more time with the doctor in the future to find out...
As he walked down the hallways to his destination the doctor seemed to sense a familiar heartbeat. He approached and at the corner of a corridor he could see Hellagur, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. Hellagur was obviously waiting for the doctor, so Sebastian froze, ready to listen to the old man.
Sebastian: Starik.
Hellagur: I heard that you fought against the Patriot...
Sebastian: It's true... Tell me, has Azazel finally finished arriving in Rhodes?
Hellagur: No, we still have one last quarter of our people left. But it's not about Azazel that I wanted to talk to you about...
Sebastian: Let me guess. Do you want to know if my fight with him would have brought back any memories Lieutenant ?
Hellagur was about to speak, until he noticed that Sebastian called him by his former rank, which made him jump and look at him with adrenaline filling his old heart.
Hellagur: So you remember!
Sebastian: Take it easy old man. Let me do the talking instead of getting you all worked up. When I was unconscious at one point I remembered the end of our Sami campaign, after the five days of battles where we shared a bottle of mead around a campfire.
Immediately, though he seemed disappointed at first, the Liberi hesitated to laugh as he put his back to the wall.
Hellagur: I should have known you wouldn't forget that kind of thing you drunkard.
He raised his head more seriously.
Hellagur: I guess I don't have to tell you then who you really were, Yuri.
Sebastian: No, you don't have to.
Hellagur: So, what are you going to do now?
Sebastian: Nothing in particular. I can't imagine how people here would react if I told them. And that's if they believe me.
Hellagur: Hm. I see...
Sebastian: Disappointed?
Hellagur: It was your armor that was known, not your face. But no matter what happens my loyalty to you remains the same.
The old man looked up at the good doctor, his gaze determined and seemingly unbreakable.
Hellagur: Ask me to be silent and I will. Ask me to go out there and fight and I will.
Sebastian: Hm. Just keep doing what you're doing for Azazel and don't tell anyone who I am.
Hellagur: Got it.
Sebastian: And Red?
He said as he turned his gaze behind him, and after a second a lupo with a red coat descended from the ceiling which was quite dark because of the pipes and such, almost making Hellagur fall backwards from fear as he realized that she was there all along to listen to their conversation.
Projekt red: What?
Her emotionless, cold voice echoed as the young woman looked at the doctor.
Sebastian: Don't tell anyone what you overheard during that conversation.
Projekt red: But I still have to tell mommy Kal'tsit everything...
Sebastian: No, not even her, if you tell her I will stop patting your tail and making you food.
Immediately the face of the lupo, which was usually like that of an icy statue, took on the expression of fear. An immense fear.
Projekt Red: O-okay, I won't tell Kal'tsit.
Sebastian: Fine. Old man.
Hellagur: General...
The two greeted each other one last time before the doctor left, the lupo making an inhuman leap to disappear into the darkness.
Lungmen: 17:07 Weather: Light rain
Sebastian sighed. He looked at the building in front of him, of Colombian architecture and showing an important wealth. But the most important thing with the many floors, the reinforced windows, the walls strong and thick enough to seem to belong to a bunker or a disaster shelter... And not to mention the guards heavily armed with automatic assault crossbows posted in front of the doors of the building. Yes, perhaps most importantly, there was the huge white neon Rhines Labs logo on the front of the building. He could see people coming in and out of the building, all Columbian and all looking a bit more like pompous assholes than the others.
Sebastian(Russian): Tch. Fucking bureaucrats.
He walked up the steps that led straight to the doors of the complex until his eyes fell on a Liberian woman. She appeared to be arguing with a building security guard and seemed to be genuinely flooded with anger as she held files and a cardboard box in her hands.
?: You have no right to do that! I've always done my job properly you have no right to fire me!
The doctor felt a chill down his spine...
Fortunately he was working in a nice and respectable place like Rhodes Island and did not have to suffer the horrors of the working world...
Guard: So if you've done your job we don't need anyone to do it anymore.
?: I couldn't even take my researches, let me in!
The man seemed to have had enough and took a step forward abruptly.
Guard: I don't give a shit! Get out of here or Imma give you a kick in the ass for you to leave !
His step forward startled the liberi who fell backwards dropping her files her right arm turning into an owl wing as she fell, her round glasses also falling off her face.
Satisfied the guard left and like the good Samaritan Sebastian went to help the liberi while the rest of the employees did not even look at her. He put a knee on the ground next to her while she started to look around with her hand and squinted.
Sebastian: Are you ok ma'am? Nothing broken?
?: Y-yes... I'm fine, have you seen my glasses?
Sebastian: Wait.
Spotting the woman's vision tool, he grabbed them and looked if they were not broken or damaged then he put them gently on the nose of the liberi woman so that she could start to see properly.
?: Ah thank you sir...
The woman turned her gaze towards him and looked into his eyes. Her large hazel colored orbs crossing his emerald gaze. The liberi flinched slightly and pulled her face back as she found it very close while continuing to look at the face of the man in front of her and although she was at first frightened by the gargantuan size of the man right in front of her eyes, the faintest traces of pink made their way to her cheeks.
The giant began to gather the liberi's files that were scattered on the floor before they ended up soaked in rainwater... The liberi also began to gather her files without saying anything, her arm taking back the shape of the one of a human instead of a wing and she quickly stood up as the doctor placed the ones he had collected on the cardboard box she was holding.
?: Thank you for helping me...
Sebastian: You're welcome, ma'am.
He gave her a smile as he began to head back towards the door of the building.
?: Hey, some advice. Don't ever work for that kind of scum.
Surprised he turned to the liberi who was enraged as she looked at the building's logo. He smiled and shook his head left and right.
Sebastian: I'd rather die than work for them...
He said as he walked through the glass doors of the building, bending over to pass and the liberi left, tears streaming down her angry face.
The giant walked up to a woman who was behind a desk in the lobby marked "information", she watched at the gruff man hesitant to call security when he approached her before he began to speak.
Sebastian: Good evening, I had an appointment with the undersecretary of Rhine Labs' defense branch.
Secretary: O-oh I see, may I have your identity sir?
Sebastian: Dr. Sebastian from Rhodes Island.
Secretary: Ah, I see.
The young woman looked at two armed guards standing in the corner and snapped her fingers, drawing their attention before pointing her finger at the doctor, the two men walking towards the giant.
Secretary: These gentlemen will guide you.
The good doctor nodded, unsure as he spotted that the soldiers in question were experienced and better equipped, probably Rhine's elite guards... He followed them without making a fuss through the corridors of the complex without making a fuss and cursing himself for not taking any weapon with him, not even the knife he used to keep on his ankle...
The giant was led to a dark part of the complex after passing through several armored doors that could only be opened with access cards until he arrived in a small room with guards in all four corners, the walls were made of gray concrete, without covering, and there were two sofas in the room, a low metal table on which was placed a screen, and above all a man who was not in ballistic armor and armed to the teeth. A perro, in a suit too tight for him, or maybe he was too fat... The perro stood up with a big smile on his lips.
?: Ah Doctor Sebastian! What a pleasure to finally see you in person!
Sebastian: Good evening Mr. Ackwood, I apologize for being late.
Ackwood: Not at all, dear doctor! I won't blame you for being two minutes late. Come, come and sit down, we have much to discuss.
He listened to the slightly eccentric man and came to shake his hand in a form of politeness before sitting down opposite the perro who smelled very strongly of expensive cologne...
Ackwood: It's a great pleasure to finally meet you doctor, your cooperation work with our company is renowned among us.
Sebastian: Thank you very much...
Ackwood: My representatives would also like to have a closer relation with Rhodes Island.
Immediately the giant's attention was caught.
Sebastian: More than a few contracts and exchanges of personnel in training?
Ackwood: Yes, as you know Rhine Labs is the leader in originium research in Columbia, and that includes the treatment of oripathy.
Sebastian: 'Treatment that is light years behind ours...'
Ackwood: And Rhode Island has some simply brilliant minds, so I think more research agreements between our two companies would be good for both of us! Rhine Labs gets the right to market the treatments and can produce them, while Rhodes Island can innovate the best terra treatments again and again with an almost unlimited budget! What do you think about this?
Sebastian: It's an extremely attractive proposition Mr. Ackwood, 'like everything else Columbia does' unfortunately I can't get into this too much without the agreement of my colleagues.
Ackwood: Ah, unfortunately I thought so... So this proposal is not the main reason why I asked you for this meeting.
Sebastian: Oh?
Ackwood: You are well known as the military leader of Rhodes Island.
Sebastian: Commander of our security branch operations would be more accurate...
Ackwood: Really? Well, you're in charge of the non-pharmaceutical side of your company...
The doctor let out a drop of sweat, even if it was the least hidden secret of Rhodes Island, it was true that half of their staff was focused on being a classic pharmaceutical company, the other half of their staff was ready to go to war any second and trained day and night for it.
Sebastian: Well, how can you be of interest to Rhodes Island.
Ackwood: Well, I represent Rhine's defense branch. So naturally weapons...
Said the perro as his eyes became much more piercing.
Sebastian: Raythean and our engineers and armorers already take care of our equipment very well. What more can Rhine do?
Ackwood: Oh no, I'm not talking about crossbows and swords and stuff like that. I think that will soon be out of date. More like something that Rhode Island and Rhine labs have mastered. Originium. The reason I've been so secretive with you, and the reason you're in this part of the complex, is to talk about a recent Rhine Labs experiment.
The doctor began to stress slightly, not really liking what he was hearing.
Ackwood: I'm here to introduce you to one of Rhine's, no, all of Terra's, greatest achievements in originium weaponry. The implementation of a sarkaz artifact into an infected host.
The giant's eyes widened at the end of the perro's sentence. They wouldn't have dared...
The fat man in front of the giant activated the screen, giving both of them a view of a most confusing scene.
A young girl no older than Misha, about 1m40, her skin dotted with black oripathy crystals, wearing a hospital gown, and rolled into a ball against a wall.
Around her were two guards, some kind of spears whose tips emitted electric arcs in their hands. One of them tased the girl, causing her to cry out in pain.
Guard 1: Get the fuck up!
?: No !
Guard 2: Get up and we won't have to hurt you any more kid...
Auckwood: The subject has been a bit recalcitrant lately, but nothing that prevents her from demonstrating her skills in the arts. They are well beyond the talented caster. And this without training!
The perro's eyes seemed to glow with interest and joy.
The girl stood up, trying to avoid the taser lances of the guards as much as possible, before moving towards what appeared to be a shooting range, but where there was a strange device similar to a flame thrower. She slowly grabbed the flame thrower with tears streaming from her eyes.
The face of the doctor became darker and darker.
Chechnya 1994
Grozny
A group of Russian soldiers were advancing through a ruined building that was almost on the verge of collapse, the gunfire ringing in their ears outside having become a habit. Walking along the walls, the squad arrived at the entrance to a dark room and all stood around the opening. A few hand signals and whoever was closest to the opening suddenly entered the room.
Instead he was stopped in his tracks by a hand that had grabbed the back of his jacket, and a leg that prevented him from putting his own down.
Sebastian: Easy...
The soldier looked at his colleague next to him. Much taller than him, much broader and more muscular, his face was mature and yet lacked a certain amount of hair that showed he was still young, in his twenties. His emerald eyes were directed at the ground, and the soldier followed those of his comrade to see that they were fixed on a claymore just around the corner from the entrance.
Sebastian: The wire is right under your boot... Gently lift your leg and rest it back...
The soldier complied slowly and let out a sigh as his foot touched the ground again. The giant walked through the door and disarmed the claymore type mine immediately.
The soldier he had just saved spoke immediately.
Igor: Yuri, thank God you're here.
Sebastian: Yeah yeah... Don't worry there was no one in the room, I would have heard them.
His squad entered the room, his superior looking at him with a bad look.
Sebastian: Sorry I couldn't be there, but you left the five of them at the entrance...
Vladimir: And you got away with it... I don't know why the spetsnaz haven't come for you yet.
Another soldier from his squad spoke up.
Sebastian: I think they have other things to do. And I can't leave you guys, you wouldn't make it through the war without me.
Vladimir: What the hell did you do with your rifle?
Sebastian: It exploded in my face...
Soldiers: Bro your luck...
Igor: Squad five got slaughtered... I don't understand why we are here...
Vladimir: Didn't you hear our dear Prime Minister...? We have to defend against these terrorists...
Said the two soldiers, drained of hope, Vladimir using his ironic tone.
Igor: And defending I guess means attacking a fucking city, not caring if we attack civilians... And dying like shit...
Sebastian: Stop or we'll disappear and our family with it...
Igor: I'll end up with eight bullets in the back of my head after writing a suicide note...
Vladimir: And after swallowing a grenade...
Sebastian: Hey don't talk so loud, there are people in the next room...
He said, putting a finger in front of his mouth as he grabbed his makarov to point to the room next door, separated from them by a heavy metal door.
He started walking straight towards the door, the rest of the men behind him.
He spotted that it was locked and made of metal, so he motioned to the others behind him to move aside slightly, and he raised his leg to kick the door in, destroying the concrete and metal. Immediately in front of him he spotted two enemies raising their rifles at him, so he fired twice shooting both of them in the head. But once his fighting instincts subsided, he heard all the screaming of children...
He looked in front of him to see that the two men he had just shot were protecting a group of children. A woman was standing in front of them, and just by her hands the emerald-eyed giant could tell that she was not a fighter. The soldiers of his squad entered the room after him, yelling at the civilians to stand down in Russian.
And after a good second when they could see that they were not soldiers but civilians, the squad lowered their weapons. Ignoring the cries for mercy and showing fear.
Igor: They are kids...
Sebastian: Schoolchildren...
Vladimir: And you'd have thought they'd at least evacuate those...
Sebastian: What do we do?
His squad leader opened his radio as he spoke, the rest of the squad looking at the children and trying to look as unthreatening as possible, until the gigantic soldier noticed that the woman was pleading in Russian and not in Chechen like the children.
Sebastian: Hey what are you doing here?
He asked the teacher trying not to scare her too much.
Teacher: They didn't let us go! Please do whatever you want to me but don't hurt the children!
Sebastian: Calm down ma'am.
He said as he unloaded his weapon, proof of good faith as her heart rate dropped slightly. But looking at the sergeant he saw him having a demonic smile on his lips when he heard the woman's words.
Piotr: Orders received. Over.
Vladimir: So chief, what do we do?
Piotr: We follow the orders.
The faces of the members of his squad broke down.
The orders they had received were that the school was infested with enemy soldiers, so they had to make sure that no one got out while waiting for it to be bombed... And the squad had rushed into the place before they knew it and slaughtered all the armed occupants.
The sergeant began to approach the teacher and started to undo his belt, not caring about the children's eyes. Before he could take a step, Sebastian grabbed his superior's shoulder.
Sebastian: Is this a fucking joke?! We're going to let the kids get bombed in the face?!
Piotr turned to him, anger showing on his face.
Piotr: You are a good soldier and good soldiers follow orders!
Sebastian: What the hell are these orders?
Piotr: Do you have something to say?! Do what you are told! Then excuse me, I have something to do.
Seeing that he was obviously going to take advantage of the teacher, the soldier in the middle of the group was getting angry.
Sebastian: What the hell are you doing!
Piotr: Touch me again and I'll court-martial you for insubordination!
The giant looked at him.
What he was fighting for was asking him to kill civilians.
Those poor kids. They were just blank canvases in front of the world, waiting to be painted and perhaps become the greatest masterpieces. These kids as he had been one once. He remembered the words of his master.
Protecting the innocent, protecting the beauty of the world, that was the one and only good reason to fight.
No matter who would give him his orders, no matter what uniform he would wear, he would never abandon his true purpose, to protect.
When his eyes met the eyes of one of the children, his voice pierced the air.
He, Yuri Petrenko made a promise to himself at that moment, he would never let an innocent child suffer and die.
Sebastian: Guys.
His tone of voice was dark.
Sebastian: Sergeant Piotr had isolated himself from the rest of his squad and was shot down by the enemy before he could pass on to us the information he got by radio.
The sergeant frowned, wondering what he was talking about as the rest of the squad nodded silently, their faces turning away from their superior.
Although a comrade, he was still a rather hateful man in parts, and his intent today disgusted the other soldiers to no end.
Two camps were emerging.
The sergeant, a hater, a man like the others here, drafted by recruiters and enlisted right out of college. Until a week ago he was in architecture school... And in the other camp there was Sebastian, a respected man, experienced and always keeping a cool head.
That's when the realization hit Piotr, if no one had been there to give them the information, no one could blame the squad for disobeying orders.
Panic-stricken, he tried to raise his weapon, but it was already too late, Sebastian shot him in the head with a makarov bullet, piercing his jaw and brain. The gun he had already drawn discreetly while the two of them looked into each other's eyes smoked from the end of the barrel while the rest of the soldiers turned their gaze elsewhere and the children and the teacher screamed with fear.
Another scream from the girl echoed through the screen as she clearly couldn't do what the soldiers were asking. Auckwood's face was focused on his experiment, while the doctor's was darkening.
Sebastian: What is his name?
Auckwood: LW-08 why?
He turned his gaze slightly to the doctor and the giant's expression instantly terrified him, though he didn't immediately understand why.
While on the screen the girl was completely slumped over on a shooting range platform with one electrocution after another, tears falling from the sarkaz's face punctuated by her cries for mercy.
Sebastian: Wrong fucking answer!
His face seemed for a second to be that of an animal, and so quickly that no one in the room could react, the doctor raised his leg and kicked the metal table with monumental force. The furniture slammed into the Rhine Labs official and he and the couch he was sitting on were pushed to the far wall of the room before being sliced in half by the coffee table.
It took a second for the first guard to react and he threw himself at the giant, the few things that were on the table flew into the air including a pencil, which the giant grabbed and when the guard approached on his right he planted the pencil in the throat of his opponent. Then noticing that all the other Rhine Labs guards raised their automatic crossbows, the giant threw himself to the ground, using the corpse in his hands as cover. The arrows all went into his body and into himself and he stood still as a large pool of blood formed on the ground.
The guards looked at each other and began to approach...
Big mistake, thought the giant.
With a movement faster than lightning he swept all around him with a kick to the ground making those who were closest fall. He got up quickly, and the one closest to him was punched in the face, breaking the bones in his face and driving them into his brain, killing him before his body even had time to fall to the ground. Then Sebastian turned to the only other soldier with a melee weapon and grabbed the head of the soldier he had killed first, lifting it above his head and slamming it down on the baton-wielding guard as if the corpse in his hand were a sack of potatoes. The two bodies colliding were reduced to a mashed of human flesh, splinters of bone and blood flying all over the room, the filthy noise being enough to make one vomit.
Guard: Holy shit!
One of his techniques was more psychological warfare than real combat, but seeing that all the enemies around him were terrified and demoralized the giant thought he had succeeded. He looked at the head he had in his hand to see that only the skull and the neck remained, so he recovered the paper pencil that had remained lodged in the neck of his opponent and he threw the head towards the head of another guard with such force that the impact killed him instantly. Then he turned to another soldier and before he had time to raise his crossbow to plant the pencil in his heart between the ribs. The guard next to him could not see anything because of the blood on his visor, so he lifted his visor and it was a fatal mistake for him. The doctor turned around and stuck the pencil in the guard's eye, hitting the brain. Of course he didn't turn around and attack to make it look pretty, he raised his leg in front of him and kicked the plexus of a man in front of him breaking his rib cage crushing all his internal organs.
He didn't die on the spot, but there was no chance of him surviving or getting up.
One of the guards threw himself on him and tried to tackle him and Sebastian would not have normally flinched, but one of the frightened guards who had remained at the back of the room shot him in the head with a crossbow bolt, making him fall to the ground and not kill him as he should have...
The giant didn't let himself go and despite the panic managed to place his pencil on the ground while the soldier who had tackled him tried to kill him, then he grabbed the side of the guard's head with one of his hands and with all his strength slammed it down on the floor, against the pencil, planting the piece of wood deep into his brain. Sebastian tightened his hand around the pencil in his skull and returned it to the sender killing the crossbowman instantly.
The giant stood up breathing heavily with his hand still clutching his makeshift weapon.
He looked at the pencil.
Sebastian: Four... Not bad...
He said before throwing the object away and approaching the screen because he felt something was wrong.
He looked at the screen to see that the girl was crying her eyes out and as her hand grabbed the edge of the shooting range platform and one of the guards ran the electricity through his staff, the girl began to scream louder than before and all around her a shockwave of flames exploded, burning the guards despite the fireproof suits they were wearing. The flames seemed to concentrate around the guards as more and more flames were generated by the girl who seemed to be seized with an immense anger.
Suddenly, even on Sebastian's side of the room, an alarm began to sound throughout the building. Realizing that time was of the essence, the doctor left the room, removing all the crossbow bolts that went through him.
He looked around not knowing where to go in the complex, but a part deep inside of him let out a groan.
That part of his soul that could only think of one thing, devouring and destroying everything in its path, seemed to perceive something through the complex. The beast inside of him gave him a direction and Sebastian immediately followed it. Starting to run through the complex as the evacuation order was broadcast over the building's speakers. In front of him, heavy metal doors slowly lowered, probably due to the security alert, but he continued to run. When the doors were too low, the giant slid to the ground and landed in front of an elevator shaft. Once he heard the heavy sound of the door closing behind him. The lights went out and came back on in a red color. The giant looked in front of him at the elevator doors and reached out with his fingers before sticking them in the gap between the two doors with a jerk, finally opening the shaft doors.
The wind blew in the elevator shaft and he could see that it continued several tens of meters deep... The elevator blocked on the floor above.
While it was however on the first floor...
If there was one thing to hide in a corporate complex that would give Umbrella cold sweats, it would be underground.
Sebastian took a deep breath and jumped down the elevator shaft holding onto a cable before sliding down the rope.
It didn't take him long, thanks to the wonderful power of gravity, to reach the bottom of the complex. He opened the doors of the elevator at the bottom and noticed that he was in a different part of the building. The walls were dull and looked as if they had come out of a bunker. Soon Sebastian began to hear footsteps running down the hallway toward him, so he began to make himself scarce.
Panicked soldiers stood behind concrete columns on the sides of the walls after closing another blast door, pointing their weapons at whatever was in the hallway. The red alarm lights glowed only intermittently, leaving the corridors in darkness.
Guard 1: John... Do you think we're going to get backup...?
Guard 2: It would take at least an hour...
Guard 1: That long?
*CRACK*
The soldier turned behind him and in the second that the lights came on he could see his colleague's neck completely broken in the hand of a gigantic man.
He let out a howl of fear before he started shooting in the direction of the giant. The other soldiers behind him did the same upon seeing this.
Guard 2: Holy shit!
The lights went out.
*CRACK*
When they turned back on the soldier who had been the first to shoot at the giant also got a broken neck from the giant.
Each time they went off he disappeared, only to reappear to brutally slaughter one of the soldiers. The last one closest to the door breathing heavily lowered his night vision goggles, and when the lights went out he simply disappeared. As if the darkness had just made his body disappear.
Scared out of his wits, he didn't notice the presence behind his back, which thrust a crossbow bolt into the back of his skull.
Sebastian looked at the pile of corpses in front of him and stared at his hand.
He remembered the technique he had just used. One of the first that his master had taught him in fact. More a simple trick than real magic or anything supernatural.
He turned to the door and prepared his fist.
These kinds of techniques were simply the kind of things he never used because they were not suited to his fighting style. But with the realization that he was too weak for this world having occurred to him during the fight against Skullshatterer, came the idea that he had to show the full extent of his skills at work if he wanted to ensure victory.
He had finished laughing, it was time to get serious.
In front of him, a heavy blast door stood. He sighed and threw his fist against the door. The metal twisted and after a moment a huge hole was formed. Finally the giant could see the light, but right in front of him another scene was more important. He could see the sarkaz girl standing against another soldier who had his crossbow pointed straight at her.
Both turned to face him as time seemed to slow down, but the crossbow string continued to slacken to send the bolt.
Then in a split second he stood in front of the crossbowman and put one of his hands on the weapon to lift it out of reach. The bolt lodged in his knee while the doctor's fist lodged in the soldier's throat killing him instantly.
The enemy corpse fell to the ground and the doctor turned to the girl to say something, but instead of words or anything, he was greeted by the tip of a flamethrower, only inches from his face.
The flames of hell burst forth, turning the doctor's head into a block of coal.
He fell heavily backwards inanimate.
The girl watched him fall heavily to the ground.
?: What the hell did he wanted?
She said as she put her flame thrower on her shoulder looking at the smoking corpse on the ground, the smell joining that of the other charred bodies of guards who had tried to stop her. The girl looked at the opening the giant had just offered her before stepping through. She walked down the hallway raising an eyebrow at the corpses, but soon she could see the light signaling that the elevator was coming on. And almost immediately a troop of even better-equipped soldiers in more advanced fireproof armor began to advance toward her. She gritted her teeth and pointed her weapon at them but some of them raised heavy shields to stand in line and when the flames disappeared the sarkaz could see that her attack had had no effect on them and they were starting to move forward.
?: Shit...
She took her flamethrower firmly in her hands and began to think about what she could do to get out of this predicament, but her inner questioning didn't last long as she spotted an object that flew over her head and landed behind the soldiers with shields. They screamed before an explosion sounded, killing all the soldiers instantly and sending the sarkaz to the ground with the shock wave. She got up, unharmed thanks to her race's constitution which made her more resistant.
She looked behind her instinctively when she felt the skin on the back of her neck twitch.
Her gaze immediately fell on the emerald-eyed giant, who had risen to his feet stronger than ever and was looking her straight in the eye. And this despite the fact that the right half of his face was still burned.
What surprised the girl more was that the left half of his face was back to normal.
Taken by fear and panic she raised her flame thrower towards him and started to make the flames spurt out. At least that's what she would have hoped for.
A spark hadn't even left the tip of the barrel when the giant put his thumb in the barrel of the flamethrower blocking it immediately. The oxygen deprivation prevented the flames from forming.
Sebastian: Let go of your toy, kid, you'll hurt me.
The girl, frowned and despite all the animosity that appeared in the first place the good doctor could see all the fear, the pain that was hidden behind those young eyes.
After all, there was no difference with his own from a few years ago.
He began to feel the heat on his back and hear the movement of the air. He grabbed the sarkaz's weapon and took it from her hands before turning to face a wall of flame that was heading straight for him. He took a deep breath, and blew dry, like an explosion, the air current generated by his breath pushed back and dispersed the flames.
The terrified girl behind him took a few steps back and was even more terrified when she could see that the right half of his face had begun to heal.
?: Who the fuck are you...
Sebastian looked at her and sighed as he handed her his gun.
Sebastian: A friend.
?: Friends don't exist.
She tried to grab his gun but the giant sensing that his intention was still to burn his face off withdrew it at the last moment.
Sebastian: Trust me, I don't want to hurt you.
Said the giant his tone as honest as he could.
Ifrit: And how can I be sure of that?
Sebastian: I could have knocked you out five times since you started talking. Use your brain kid, you can see that I'm much stronger than you.
He held out the flame thrower to the girl again and she took it in her hands, though hesitantly.
Ifrit: Who are you...
Sebastian: Doctor Sebastian-
He didn't have time to finish his sentence when the girl took a step back and gritted her teeth, preparing to attack.
Ifrit: I knew it! You're going to treat me like a lab rat like all the other "doctors"!
Her grip on her flamethrower tightened as she looked even angrier.
Ifrit: That's all I am! Nobody helps me! N-nobody loves me! E-everybody uses me! E-everybody is abandoning me!
His voice was full of rage, from his eyes flowed torrents of tears and his throat knotted with sadness. Seeing this the giant was taken by a terrible pain in the heart. He sat down on the floor, cross-legged, surprising the girl.
Sebastian: Are you sure you don't have anyone? No one who has ever cared about you?
Ifrit: I had my moms... Mommy Saria and Mommy Silence...
Sebastian: "Two moms? I don't think that if they were her real parents they wouldn't accompany her to a top secret lab... they must be scientists from the project..."
The girl also sat on the floor in front of the giant, tired of standing.
Ifrit: Mommy Saria always taught me cool stuff and made me laugh, trained me and told me stories about her work... Mommy Silence always made me food, took care of my boo-boos, and made sure that the bad guys didn't hurt me... But they are not here anymore, they left without telling me anything...
Sebastian: Can you tell me what they look like?
Ifrit: Mommy Saria is a vouivre, she is very tall, very strong and she has long white hair...
Sebastian: "Director Saria...? No doubt. She's talking about the director of the defense division. So she also had some influence in there... Too bad, I know she's not a decision maker, she's just paying lip service to the director position, she's just being a mercenary for the other higher ranking members. Her deployment here had to end and following orders she took off..."
Ifrit: Mama Silence is a liberi... An owl I think... She has round glasses, brown eyes and short brown hair...
The description reminded the giant of something.
Sebastian: Small? Brown plumage too ?
Ifrit: Yes!
Sebastian: I saw her when I entered the building...
Ifrit: Why didn't she protect me? Why isn't she here?
Sebastian: Sorry but she got fired from her job here...
Ifrit: That's why she wasn't there anymore...
She cowered even more.
Sebastian: Hey, if I take you back to that Silence, will you be okay?
Ifrit: Really...?
Sebastian: If you think of her as your mother I think I can get you to her so you'll be safe.
Ifrit: Why are you doing this for me...?
Asked the girl, raising her head.
Sebastian: ... I don't like to see children crying. I couldn't stand watching what they were doing to you.
Ifrit: That's it...? You only meddle with what is your business unless a child is crying...?
Sebastian: Basically... Yes.
Ifrit: It's hard to believe you...
Sebastian: *sigh* I promise to bring you to safety, and I promise to bring you back to your mother.
Ifrit: Promise?
The giant smiled and raised his hand to show it to the girl, especially the fact that he was holding out his pinky.
Sebastian: Cross my heart and hope to die.
The girl began to smile, and deep inside, far beyond reason, she could feel the fact that she could trust this man. She raised her hand and hooked her little finger with the doctor's, sealing their promise.
Sebastian: Well, now I have to get you out of here... Do you have any clothes?
Ifrit: Huh... Yes... Why?
Sebastian: Because you forgot to zip up the back of your hospital gown and also because I can't walk you around town without attracting attention if you walk around like you just came out of the emergency room.
The girl looked down at herself and saw that her hospital gown was stained with blood and ashes from charred corpses.
Sebastian: Go put something on your back while I guard the entrance.
Said the giant before getting up to look at the corpses, and taking in his hands one of their automatic crossbows.
Ifrit: Hey!
The doctor raised an eyebrow and glanced at the girl.
Ifrit: I still don't trust you, you dumbass! You and all your other friends in white coats! So no cheap shots or I'll burn your ass to the ground!
The doctor could understand that his words came more from a self-protective habit than from a real lack of trust.
Sebastian: Go and get dressed before I soap your mouth for your words.
Says he by returning to her a murderous glance, giving him a small blow of panic on her language and making bead a drop of sweat on the nape of the girl's neck. Then taken of the same kind of fear as when Silence scolded her she hurried to leave again in the complex, to go towards her room while the giant sighed before starting to smile.
Sebastian: She's a good kid...
He said to himself, the first impression that she left him escaping from his thoughts to be formulated aloud. Besides the slight mental retardation she had, probably related to the fact that she had spent her life in a laboratory, he could just as easily see that she didn't have a bad background.
Unlike some other kids on this planet who were rotten to the core...
He said to himself, gritting his teeth, thinking of Chernobog and that fucker Mephisto.
He still hesitated between tearing out his spine and devouring him if he got his hands on him.
Ifrit: Hey ready to go?
The giant turned to the girl who was dressed and raised an eyebrow.
Sebastian: Ready to go already?
Ifrit: Buy yourself a watch, I've been gone for a long time...
Sebastian: Ah...
The giant approached the elevator, ignoring the corpses he was walking over as well as the girl behind him. He opened the elevator doors with his hands once more and stepped inside. He looked at the button panel and raised his hand.
Ifrit: What are you doing? Ground floor, it's not complicated.
Sebastian: They are probably waiting for us on this floor. It wouldn't be very smart to go upstairs like flowers...
Ifrit: Well?
He started to move forward in the elevator and by simply raising his arm opened the service hatch to see that a floor much higher in the building had its elevator doors open. He thought for another second calculating a plan before nodding to himself.
He pressed the control panel for the ground floor and immediately leapt through the service hatch, landing on top of the car. He was about to put his hand through the hatch for the girl to follow him, but to his surprise she jumped through the hatch on her own. The good doctor was surprised, but then he realized that it was not difficult for a sarkaz to jump more than two meters. He closed the service hatch and the elevator began to rise.
Sebastian: Hold on to me.
Ifrit: Huh...?
Sebastian: Hold on to me.
Ifrit: You're kidding me! No way!
Sebastian: *sigh* Never mind.
He grabbed the girl and took her on his shoulder before bending his legs to jump. Ifrit was immobilized by the sudden acceleration as the doctor leaned on one of the walls of the elevator shaft before jumping again, using the walls as a springboard to wait till he reached the open elevator door and go through it.
With a quick gesture he lowered the sarkaz from his shoulder, the latter staggering with difficulty, to stay upright, disoriented by the fact of being manhandled like a sack of potatoes.
Ifrit: What the hell for?
Sebastian: We had to go upstairs.
Ifrit: I don't feel well...
Sebastian: Are you going to die?
He asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly laughing at her.
Ifrit: No...
Sebastian: Then move, we still have to get out of here.
The giant started to move a little more through the complex, as the sound of crossbows could be heard on the first floor. Probably soldiers waiting for them in the elevator corridor, who had fired as soon as the doors opened.
Sebastian arrived in front of a large and luxurious double door, but noticing that it was locked he lifted his leg and kicked it open.
He was given a view of a huge desk, also luxurious in the pure Columbian style. He wondered at first who the desk belonged to, but with the many framed photos of that fat ass from Auckwood with his trophies from hunting parties, he didn't look for long.
Curious, he approached a precious painting, and his instinct made him remove the painting from the wall to reveal a safe.
Ifrit also entered the office, amazed to see so much luxury, a motorcycle was even displayed as a work of art in a corner, but the blue and red lights outside in the night reminded her of reality and she looked through the large windows of the office to see dozens of cars of the L.G.D. and the police at the bottom.
The giant began to open the safe, concentrating on his hearing and turning the knob to find the combination.
Ifrit: Uh... Is it good if there are police here...?
Curious, he looked out the window to see the fucking troop of L.G.D. soldiers probably as numerous as for the battle against the reunion. A bead of sweat broke out on his forehead and he pulled his phone out of his pocket before quickly dialing a number while still cracking the combination to the safe.
Sebastian: Come on pick up pick up...
Hoshiguma: Hello?
Sebastian: Hey-
Hoshiguma: Please tell me you're not inside the Rhine Labs headquarters building...
Sebastian: He he...
Hoshiguma: I knew it... *sigh*
At the bottom of the building outside in the middle of the police cars stood the oni with her cell phone in hand, sitting on the hood of one of the cars.
Sebastian: Are you outside?
Hoshiguma: Yep. We're about to storm the place. Can you give me a briefing?
Sebastian: Rhine Labs invited me for a business deal and I found out that they were doing live experiments on a kid and they were torturing her to make her obey. I slaughtered them and I'm trying to get the kid out.
Hoshiguma: Hm. I see. Is the girl with you?
Sebastian: Do you have a view of the main façade on the fourth floor?
The oni looked up at a bay window and saw a young sarkaz girl looking down on the city, leaning against the glass.
Hoshiguma: I see the girl.
Sebastian: What version did they give?
Hoshiguma: That you were a spy, that you had kidnapped the daughter of one of the staff members and stolen important information. And also that you slaughtered some guards. Oh, I forgot, they didn't give your name, you're still clean.
Sebastian: In a way that's not far from the truth.
Hoshiguma: Can you get away with it?
Sebastian: Of course. Hey, can you do me a favor?
Although he couldn't see it, the oni smiled.
Hoshiguma: Sure.
Sebastian: Can you search the L.G.D. archives for someone's address for me?
Hoshiguma: Sure. Do you have any information about the person?
Sebastian: Name: Silence, female, liberi of Columbian origin. Hey kid! Do you have your mother's name?
Ifrit: Which one?
Sebastian: The owl!
Ifrit: Olivia!
Sebastian: I guess you heard.
Hoshiguma: I have a match. Olivia Silence, Liberi, Columbian, lives at 37 Pei-Ming street, apartment 12...
Sebastian: Fucking Pei-Ming... That's on the other side of town...
Hoshiguma: I can't take you there. I can't get you out of this situation with my influence, so I'll take you across town...
Sebastian: That's okay, I can handle it. Oh, and thanks Hoshi. I owe you one.
Hoshiguma: Oh no, we could go for a drink tomorrow night together or-
Sebastian: Sorry, I can't tomorrow night. I'm already going to a restaurant with someone else.
He heard a second of silence on the other side of the wire and Ifrit through the window was looking down at the scene.
Ifrit: Holy fuck! She crushed the car door with her hand.
Hoshiguma: Oh. Well, the next day I'll send you a message.
Sebastian: Okay bye-
*beep* *beep* *beep*
Sebastian: Did I make her angry?
The giant wondered as he put his phone in his pocket and the safe finally let out the last click, signaling that it had been opened. The giant smiled, the combination being much more complex than he had hoped. He opened the chest and saw a-
Toast...?
With a slice of cheese on it... And a bite mark.
He blinked several times, wondering if what he was seeing was real, before his eyes turned to another part of the safe that contained a file. Project Flame Demon LW-08.
He took the file and put it in his pants pocket. Incidentally thanking his god for making the pockets of men's pants so big...
He turned to the girl who was watching the L.G.D. troops enter the building. He had not taken this file for pure pleasure, simply because he was sure that her health data was there, and given the progress of her oripathy he had to know if the girl needed treatment.
Anyway, his job as a doctor.
Ifrit: I don't want to alarm you, but they're on their way in... Will we be able to get out? And how can we do if we are being chased to the other side of the city?
The giant pointed to a corner of the office and the girl's eyes went there to see a motorcycle...
Ifrit: Is this a fucking joke?
L.G.D. Guard: Boss! Our men are battling Columbia mercenaries inside! We think they were hired by Rhine!
The officer said with a military salute.
Hoshiguma: You should have known better. Mike, Tang, with me. Let's get rid of these mercenaries.
Once she finished her sentence, a window shattered on one of the floors to drop a motorcycle with two people on it, the vehicle accelerated as soon as it disappeared into the city and the night.
Mike: Hey Boss wasn't that the guy you like?
Guard: Now that you mention it, it's true that it looks like the Rhodes doc...
Tang: Does he?
Hoshiguma: ... Nope... You're wrong.
The three of them looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.
Tang: Do you guys really think that the boss would fall in love with a guy who would have fun kidnapping little girls and spying on other companies?
Mike: Not wrong...
Hoshiguma: Stop talking about that in front of me and get your asses to the fight!
Said the oni her face completely red.
While in the night, a noise of engine resounded, tearing through the streets of Lungmen.
Several hundred kilometers away. In a place on terra where it was still light.
A vouivre was sitting in a plane, a luxurious private jet. She was looking out the window at the setting sun as the plane moved onto the runway. Her right leg was over her left, and her head rested on her hand. Boredom gripped her as it had all too often in her long, long life.
And yet the sight of the sunset was something that still didn't bother her, her broad, almost rocky-looking orange and concrete gray tail swaying back and forth slowly. Her calmness remained there. Until her phone rang. She growled in annoyance and picked up.
?: Director Saria speaking.
?: This is M. We have a problem in Lungmen. LW-08 has escaped with the help of a doctor from a small pharmaceutical company. You have to kill them both and bring the prototype back to the Columbia branch.
The vouivre was surprised to hear the orders.
M: Can I count on you?
Saria: Of course.
She answered in a cold and mechanical voice.
M: Good. Goodbye.
The person on the other end of the phone hung up. Saria looked at the sun one second more before getting up to go to the pilot's cabin to announce him something.
Direction, Lungmen.
