Rook Islands became red once more. The sight became darker. The air grew cooler. Crickets chirping and fireflies lighting up. Waves crashing and so did his body. Well almost...
The radio tower had a busted walkway. It was a bit of a squeeze to go through it and continue to climb the tower. Fortunately, the last obstacles to ascend were ladders. Getting to the fuse box, Doctor pulled the cover, then the scrambler piece and flipped the switch. This part of the island is now visible.
Rappelling down he continued forward into the island. Hiking through some nearby cliffs, bow at hand. He went with the quiet route of traveling the island, taking precautions to not alert anyone at Pirate's Cove. He heard the growls and pounces of leopards far behind him. It'll be the only thing to hear until he can get inside the prison camp.
Hoping over a wooden attempt of a balcony he reached a small encampment. Several pirates were scattered around the jungle leaving the shacks of this camp unattended. Except for one. Pulling out a knife he went down and close to the buildings. Hugging the nearest one, seeing the pirates patrol to another location and went to the other. Inside he saw a pirate leader, another man wanted and sentenced to the knife, sitting on a chair overlooking his pirates. Doctor slammed his knife to the side of the pirates neck, grabbing his mouth before dragging him inside.
"What's that noise?" A curious pirate went to the shack to see what his leader was doing. Before he got to alert the others he was jabbed in the stomach and joined his leader in death.
Doctor spent no noise and time in dealing with the rest. The now dark jungle gave good cover in taking down all remaining pirates with arrow and knife. He did have to lure some into the woods, regardless they were dispatched without anyone noticing. He left the empty camp, his trial and pathway to the cove complete in unison. As soon as he was near the prison camp he had to comprise a plan to-
*Ring*
"Hello?" His phone rang, good for him that he took down those pirates. Had the timing been earlier, the pirate camp would've gone to the sound guns ablaze. And with it, letting the whole prison know. Game over.
"Hello? Doctor?"
"Ceobe?"
"Yeah! Dr. Earnhardt lent me his phone to call you. I wanna know if you're okay."
"I'm getting closer to finding our friends. Have you gotten better?"
"Mhmm! The medicine worked great. Not only that but Dr. Earnhardt showed me this really big cave under his house. When the pirates come to buy from him, I just stay here." A good bit of news at least. She's sounding much more bright and energetic than the last time he saw her. And the cave is a great way to stay low from the pirates. "Oh, oh, Doctor! There's another thing about this cave, you have to see it!"
"I will Ceobe. After I free our friends we'll head to you. Stay with the doctor until we arrive."
"Okay, good luck Doctor! Bye!" Oh Ceobe... She can brighten his day up with that cheerfulness, albeit still recovering from her exhaustion. Doctor put his phone away and stalked close to the outside of P.C. Going to a cabin he waited for a single pirate to pass by him. Pouncing on him, he slashed his throat in quick motion. The Doctor proceeds, his arm glowing with images of a Shark and Heron.
Stabbing another at the highest point of the prison, where a watchtower is placed. Readying his rifle, he overlooked the camp and noticed two more pirates at their own respective watchtowers. He also saw an alarm button beside them. With a vice grip on his rifle, taking a deep breath and a forced stillness, Doctor sniped one of the sentries before going to the other. Exhaling he got off the watchtower and slid down the hill.
His pathway to the center is silent. Stabbing each sentry, dragging them into the shacks to be unnoticed until he reached a few guards. Two of them were wandering around and one of them, the leader at a makeshift gazebo, was shooing away some chickens. Doctor, as quick as he could, went behind the leader who turned around and found himself gutted by the hooded figure in front of him. One thrust, two thrusts, more to the chest.
"What's that noise?" A pirate heard his leader's dead grunts. Doctor threw him over the ledge before he did and hid underneath the gazebo floor. The pirate seeing the body of his superior panicked as headed towards the alarm. When his arm reached the smooth surface of the alarm he saw it fall to the sand as another fresh bleeding limb now belonged to the island and a knife piercing his back through his center.
Doctor got out his bow and waited for more pirates to come. A curious one did, hearing the commotion, just a few feet away from the gazebo until an arrow plunged into his neck. Another one arrived startled by the sudden death of his companion rushed forward only to meet the same fate, an arrow to the neck. The outside is quiet. All that's left to reach his Operators is the inside.
Grabbing the key from the dead leader he went past some shipping containers to a stack of barrels near the entrance. His bow back into his carrier, in its place was his rifle. He brought out a grenade, looking at it with more anxiety and adrenaline than he could ever feel. This was it. He was close. "Let's do this..." He said letting the thing cook before throwing it to the entrance.
The explosion was far louder than his previous ones. Rushing forward the pirates at the front were decimated. A red drum still burning was seen charring one out of the many bricks of white powder placed here. Heading inside more pirates arrived. Shooting one near the crates, taking cover at the door as pirates engaged him from the stairs. With them having no cover Doctor peered out pulling the trigger until the two pirates were riddled with lead.
Reloading he headed up and hid behind a railing with a metal screen riveted in. He threw two blocks of his repurposed explosives into the pirates downstairs. With a beep from his pushbutton control twin explosions were seen behind the metal bars. The product these pirates were organizing have fully incinerated as more rushed out. A hurry of bullets flew into them, the Doctor waited to see if more would come while he grabbed whatever magazine he could find that remained unscathed.
"...Fuck you!" A growling curse of a woman can be heard. Defiant and strong.
"Blaze?" Doctor went deeper into the cave taking another pirate down coming out of the barracks. In between a locker and a television set was another relic, a Spider illuminated by the melting candles. Seeing that it shouldn't be here he concealed the artifact in his rucksack. Going back to Blaze, he heard her voice: "I'm not doing... shit for you..." behind a rusted iron door. Taking out the key, inserting it into the lock, Doctor pointed his rifle to the slowly opening door where a line of candles and red drapes were seen but no pirates.
He followed the candles to a demented attempt at a movie shoot. Dead bodies, dead animals, cages, dead bodies and animals in those cages, a few cages remained empty or were taken down. In the middle of it all was Blaze, as presented in a torn projection screen. She appeared exhausted and in chains, a red stain covering half her face, which had a venomous glare at her captor.
"I want you to call out your friends... your family..."
Vaas.
"...Fuck you!"
"I love you Mom and Dad."
A snarl was her response.
"We can do it your way. Just need more emotion. You can do it honey, come on."
"Don't you fucking call me...!" She struggled against the chains.
"Could you please settle down with the swearing?! OK?!" The pirate leader had enough. "YOU are to be a fine lady actress and I want YOU to make YOUR loved ones be moved by YOUR performance!" He shouted at her to which Blaze.
"Fuck you!" Responded in kind. Vaas lowered his voice.
"Your vampire friend is going to be in the next scene and if we pull this off we're gonna win the-" Vampire? Warfarin! She's here as well! The commander of Rhodes Island had enough. Shooting the protector on the dissecting table as he exited the bloody mess of a movie set. He noticed that the cages were empty and no sign of the fiery Feline or pale Sarkaz. Doctor went to the hallway outside hoping to see if Blaze or Warfarin is still here.
"Blaze?! Warfarin?!"
"Doctor." A voice said behind him.
"Wha-" A heavy blow landed on his face. Falling on his side, he saw an immense pirate with rotund body armor and a blast mask pinning him with his boot. Before the fallen Doctor can pull out his pistol, the pirate raised his machine gun, its stock pointing downward, and gave another blow to his head rendering him unconscious.
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The Doctor couldn't move his hands. He felt the abrasive rope scratching his wrists to friction burn. His vision started to return from being blurred. The lingering pain on his head replaced the sensation from the blows he received from that bigger pirate. A cascading sound of a liquid exiting a container is all that he can hear as he raised his head, his sight starting to return.
He saw in frail wooden chairs, Blaze and Warfarin. Their arms uncomfortably restrained behind the chairs. Looking around they were in a room of what seems like an unfinished building, abandoned, now part of the jungle. In front of them was Vaas pouring the contents of a jerry can all over the floor. Spinning around, he finished it by throwing the can at him, splashing the liquids and fully waking him up.
'What is this?' Doctor thought when he smelled the water like substance. It was like a deteriorated form of distilled Originium used in cars. Or the motor oil from Closure's workshop.
Vaas chuckled as he paced in front of him. "These girls of yours, Doc. They're fucking crazy man... When I first saw them, they've killed several of my guys, right in front of me, before I had to..." He trailed off with a spin of his wrist. "Subdue them. Like we always do to the animals here, because she-" He turn to point at Blaze before going back to him. "Makes fires come out of fucking air. Wish I could do that hmmm? Would be fun... And her." He points to Warfarin. "Does some shit with fucking blood. Blood. Vampire. Holy fucking shit." He said like it was obvious. "So what I did, if, IF, the fire girl tries to start a fire, with her fire brujeria or what have you." He whistles down to a trail of the odd smelling liquid from Blaze to Warfarin. "She's gonna see Red eyes burned alive. I heard it's one way to kill them because lemme tell you this." He hurriedly pointed out to Doctor as he crouched down. A finger raised and landed by another, it was a pattern he made as he listed out. "I tried garlic, she sneezed. I tried holy water, she didn't sizzle. HOW THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" He abruptly stood up and screamed at the Sarkaz, ponting at her. "Worst. Fucking. Vampire. Or I was lied to. Anyways." He went back to the tied up Rakyat in the same position.
"Who gave you that ink Doc?" Vaas questions while fiddling with a lighter.
"..."
"I asked you question, who gave you that ink? Hmm? Citra gave you that ink? My sister gave you that ink, huh?"
"..." Sister?
"You think that makes you one of us? You think that makes you like me, huh? Outsider got a hard-on for jungle fever." He made uncouth gestures with his hands near his pelvis.
"You're Rakyat...?" Doctor asked.
"Shocker yeah? What makes me different from them is, Doctor, that I'm gonna drive a bullet-" He whistled a trail from an extended finger to his head. "through my sister's skull." He clicked his tongue. "You felt it in your shoulder and when I'm done with you three. She's gonna feel it from one end to the other."
...
"...If it's between you and your sister. Then we shouldn't be a part of this, right?" He said calmly while looking at the Operators. He was silently letting them know to go along with it. "We can walk away from all of this and you don't have to waste a bullet on me or them."
"You're worried, Doctor." The pirate leader said while gripping his shoulder. "For them, I get that. They're your family, I get it. I mean without family who the fuck are we?" He pondered in a low, sentimental tone of voice. "There was a time I would do anything for my sister, first time I ever killed a man was for my sister. But that was not enough for her." He suddenly stood up and became more volatile. "Nononono, please. You see the thing about our loved ones right." He lectured in front of Blaze then back to Doctor. "OUR FUCKING LOVED ONES! THEY COME AND BLINDSIDE YOU EVERY FUCKING TIME!" Showing a jab to insinuate his words. "So they say to me, they say, "Vaas. Vaas! Who the FUCK IS IT GOING TO BE?! HUH?! THEM OR ME?! MEEEEEEEEEE OR THEM?!" Vaas screamed our while pounding his chest leaving the neurologist on edge. Never had he seen such controlled chaos on a person since the likes of Mephisto.
'...Fuck.'
Vaas chuckled again with tired pants. "Like, you know, like they FUCKING THINK that I need to make a fucking choice! Ha..." He tried to start the lighter. "By the way this lighter really fucking sucks." He closed the little box and stored it inside one of Doctor's jacket pockets. "But you know, so much for poetics... It's really too bad that Citra had to ink you up. Because now the only way to kill you is to erase you completely."
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"If you fucking touch him I'll..." Blaze growled, not staying silent any longer nor listening to his deranged rants.
"Hey, hey... Shshhshhh. It's okay." Vaas hushed, cutting her threats off. "You'll have the opportunity to do what you like." Going to the hallway. "Doctor, I swear to God, man. It's truly beautiful that you are willing to play a little game with your friends while you're so close to dying." He threw the keys to the girl's locks in the middle of the two chairs. Vaas then pulled out his pistol and shot the Doctor, the force pushing him back to the moss stained floor. With wide eyes the two Operators were horrified to see their beloved superior potentially executed in cold blood. However this shock became a reaction.
"DOCTOR! YOU FUCKING-!" Blaze screamed out, struggling against the metal restraints while Warfarin's panic suddenly heightened when she realized what Vaas planned to do.
"BLAZE! NO!"
A spark erupted. Enveloping the room in fire as Vaas and the rest of his entourage left the two to cook. The floor started to crack in half. Both Blaze and Warfarin heard Doctor grunt in pain as the floor finally caves in. He slid down while the girls tried to shake themselves off the chairs to reach the keys. Falling through each floor, breaking the chair, Doctor was freed with a bruised upper torso as he saw the fire burning all throughout the building.
""DOCTOR!""
"Hang on, I'm coming!" Doctor ran upstairs, taking out his Laterano pistol. "Just keep talking to me! I'll be there!" Running through the halls, shooting water pipes for the fires blocking his path. He had his down to avoid shrapnel from the haphazard explosions. Climbing a ladder, running through a collapsing floor, smashing a door open to the insides of a wall. Doctor reached a fallen concrete beam only to have it split as he jumped to the ledge, holding for dear life. He saw the fires below, the whole first floor is encased.
"Doctor! Hurry!"
*cough* *cough* "There's smoke everywhere!"
"I'm almost there!" Pulling himself up he went through another hallway, another pipe to shoot for the fires to a room with floor whatsoever. He went to the remains and with careful steps crossed over as he saw the second floor erupt in explosions. The next hallway he rushed on more broken floors, concrete beams after which he climbed up to a hole where he reached the top of the building's floor.
"Blaze?! Warfarin?!"
"Over here!" He heard the Elite Op from across the hallway. Rushing to the room he grabbed the keys and started to remove the girls off of the chained seats that have caught on fire.
"What do we do now?!" Warfarin said.
"We can't go downstairs!" Doctor looked around and saw a wall blasted open. "Here, follow me!" He lead them to the wall, a wall of fire separating them and the scaffolding.
"Wait, Doctor? Isn't there another way down?" Blaze questioned. At first she thought that they were going to be freefalling with them in her arms, however with this fire in the way and both of her companions being flammable, unlike her. There should be...
"It's the only way down! I'll cover Warfarin while we fall, now go!" He said eliciting a shocked yelp from the pale woman.
"Fall?! What?!"
The Feline nodded. No time and no other way it looks like. With a running start she jumped off the scaffolding, landing safely on her two feet as she saw both Doctor and Warfarin descend down. She winced when she saw them go through wood, bumping on metal pipes until they finally hit the ground.
"Urgh... You alright Warfarin?"
"Oww..."
Blaze returned to help them up on their feet as they ran away from the burning building. "I see a truck, come on!" She said pointing a Scavenger. The trio ran to the truck, Doctor look back to the building when he heard some of Vaas' men.
"Warfarin, you drive. Blaze ride shotgun." He ordered while hopping in the back. The Medic twisted the key left behind by the pirates but it was slow to start.
"Doctor, it won't start!"
"Dammit, keep jiggling the key! Blaze, help me push!" They both went behind the truck, pushing it with all their strength. The engine starting to light up as they gave the truck a moving start. Hoping back to their original seats, they rode off, the building behind them at last collapsed into a smoke cloud. Warfarin asked Doctor behind her.
"What was that?!"
"The building went down!" Doctor exclaimed, ducking when he heard the pirates shooting at them. Seeing a grenade launcher, he retaliated by shooting the two pirates, blasting them both. "Get down!"
Passing a bridge more of the pirates arrived in vehicles. Chasing them down with Doctor blowing them to pieces.
"What's going on back there?!" Blaze yelled out.
"Traffic control!"
More trucks appeared, shooting the Rhodes Island escapees. Doctor launched another shot into them, turning it into a fireball and flying to the side of the road. Warfarin sped up but at the same time kept it steady for Doctor to keep shooting at their persuers. Going off road they reached a dried up tributary. Picking up the pace until the engine stopped.
"Oh no, it died!" The driver cried out. More shots came their way, more pirates arrived on foot.
"Focus on the car! Blaze... throw them some lead!" Doctor handed her a discarded rifle. With no other weapon in hand, she took it and returned fire from behind the passenger seat, pieces of the windshield scattered around them. Hitting a random barrel as it ignited and blown two pirates off their feet. The truck became surrounded by explosions and gunfire. Warfarin jiggled the key erratically while pressing hard on the pedal. The damn car isn't responding to any of it.
"There's more of 'em coming! Urk!" A stray bullet grazed the Guard's bicep.
"Blaze!" Warfarin called out.
"I'm alright..." She grunted out, her hand covering the bleeding wound. At the same time the engine lit up again. They drove away from the firefight. The Sarkaz driver didn't stop as she ran over several pirates trying to kill her.
"We're losing them! Keep going, go faster!" Doctor said as he tended to the shot passenger. Jamming a syringe with precise care on a bumpy ride to her arm and wrapping the wound up with a spare bandage dressing. Vaas made a grave mistake, not taking his stuff.
"Haa... Thanks Doctor." Blaze said in gratitude. Looking behind them she saw that there were no pirates chasing them. Letting out a cheeky grin. "Those assholes never knew what hit them."
"Done." A tight knot was made on her. "Are you alright there Warfarin?"
"Yeah...! A little lightheaded but I can still drive." She said with a relieving smile. Good to know. Now that they were in the clear the Doctor had more questions.
"Was it just the two of you that were in there?"
"Yeah, we were the only ones." Blaze explained. "Those pirate guys killed everybody else and left us for his damn movie." Warfarin then intervened with a new piece of information.
"But we heard that they've taken the others to some place called Bunker. I don't know if they were talking about Red, Provence, Ceobe-"
"Ceobe's safe. Go here then go right." He pointed to an incline in front of them. Warfarin could feel the truck starting to die on her again. A chugging of the engine, the underbody beginning to wear down. She can only curse in irritation at the vehicle breaking down.
"This rust bucket isn't going to last any longer Doctor."
"Go as far you can. We'll find another ride and I'll take you somewhere safe."
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"Ceobe?! Look who's here!" He called the Perro's name. Once the truck finally broke down they took a deserted car and headed to Dr. Earnhardt's house. They went to the cave Ceobe mentioned earlier and saw the immense yet beautiful interior. Hearing her name, Ceobe popped her head out of a crashed boat. Her brightened as she hopped down and lunged at the free captives.
"Blaze! Warfarin!"
"Hey Ceobe, good to see you again." Warfarin said, patting the excitable girl on her back. Still the same ball of sunshine this one is.
"Is this what you wanted to show me Ceobe?" Doctor pointed out.
"Mmhmm!" She nodded. "I found this boat when I first went down here. We can use it to go back home!"
"Did you check if it's sea worthy?"
"Hmm? What do you mean Doctor?" She tilted her head.
"I mean, did you check to see if the boat is still working or have any holes?"
"No holes! But I don't know how to start a boat."
'Well at least it's intact.' It was the most he can ask from her.
"Umm... Maybe we can start it just like how we start any other dinghy?" Blaze pointed out.
"Have you seen any kind of key to the boat Ceobe?" Warfarin questioned her.
"Ah no, sorry..."
"Damn." Blaze cursed out softly.
Doctor suddenly clasped his hands. Setting a new plan on the spot and alerting his Operators. "Okay, first things first, we need to get this boat ready to sail. I'll ask around to see if the villagers could let us borrow some tools, blueprints, anything to get this boat moving." Just like old times, whenever Doctor had a plan everyone listens. "The second will be provisions."
"Provisions?" The Perro tilted her head.
"Food, Ceobe." He said and in response she lit up, pointing to a campfire by the boat. There was an assortment of baskets filled with fruits and fresh cuts of different animal parts.
"Oh, oh! I brought some! There were a lot of fruits and meat near the cliffs."
*rumble*
All of their stomachs rumbled.
"Hmm. You took initiative, good work Ceobe." Doctor congratulated with a pat on her head. She sighed in bliss as he then turned to the other women. "Let's take it easy for now. We'll figure a way home in due time." Blaze and Warfarin looked at each other and nodded. With a smile they joined Ceobe at her little cookout. Sitting on logs dug into the sand, eating a banana or two until they get to the main course. Blaze then asked Doctor sitting beside her.
"So... who's going out there?" The answer she received threw her on a loop as he said.
"I am."
"Really?"
"Of course. It's important that all of you are safe. I'll go find the others, bring them here along with the things we need to get the boat moving."
"..." When he said that he could see the dark haired woman tense. It was miniscule but he didn't miss it. Her hands were wrapped together, her thumbs rubbing each other. She was nervous. An anxiety she hadn't felt since the Chernobog incident, when... "Usually it's us that you send out to do stuff. Only this time we're in the dark. And these damn pirates gunning after us. Are you sure you-"
He placed a sole hand on her cheek. To ease her, he went to her favorite petting spot. Most Operators had their heads, Blaze was no exception to the rule but she enjoys it more when he rubs her cheek like that. She leaned in to his touch, an instinctual purr coming out of her throat. "Blaze, I got this... Don't worry." He assured her, his dark eyes staring at her cobalt ones. She turned her gaze down. At his equipment, his building constitution, his drive to save the other girls and that odd tattoo on his arm. Breathing in, she nodded and returned to their meals. A little confidence has to be made at his duty.
On the corner of his eye he saw a bowl. Over it was a sign. "EAT ME" in bold red letters. The bowl had red berry like pills, and it was in abundance. Curiously he tried one, not too bad. It has fruity taste and soft texture. Also for some reason he can hear the girls call out to him but it was muffled. Everything seems to be... brighter? How, he was in a dimly lit cave?
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Doctor. A neurologist at last after years in the Academy of Medical Sciences. The youngest and most brilliant to be seen in the academy. Though he suppose he can thank the army for that helping hand. Going to school is an available path for anyone but for entering and graduating from a prestigious one is a mountain of an obstacle.
So now he is spending the last few days celebrating by himself before he heads straight to the workforce. At a little place called: The Social Club. Everyone was dancing, talking, making out as for him, he went to the only thing that can lighten his day.
The Bar
"One Mai-Tai." The bartender gave him his cocktail.
"Appreciate it." He raised his glass in gratitude. Taking an enjoyable sip, he wanted this to last as long as possible. This led to him thinking in what to do next. Maybe order another drink? Whiskey? Vodka? He wondered what was nice for this state of mind. Because after all of this, he's heading out to the workforce. Great... He's starting to feel his sanity drop down again.
*giggle* "You seem down friend." A voice called out. He turned to see a woman in all white medical garbs, long black hair with a headband and coy purple eyes. A pretty sight to behold. The girl was in the next seat enjoying her own drink as she started the conversation.
"Just enjoying myself." Was his only retort.
"By drinking?"
"Yup. Better to live the moment now than never."
"Oh? What makes you say that?" She probed the new doctor in the field.
"I say that because I just graduated from med school and I have to find a hospital or clinic that will take me in. So one last hurrah before I get a job." As soon as he said that the woman became much more interested.
"Graduated from med school? In what field?"
"Neurology, why did you ask?"
"Neurology... Ohhh, this is perfect!" She said mostly to herself. Perfect? Perfect for what? And why was she excited about him being well acquainted in Neurology? "And you said you're looking for a place worthy of your trade?!"
"Right...?" She reached into her pocket and handed him a card. It had a Rook piece design in a triangular background. "May I enjoy my life and practice my art. Respected by all men and in all times." was written on it.
"I work for a brand new pharmaceutical company founded by several famous medical practitioners with some aid from the State. We were just looking for someone of your position!"
What were the chances of this happening? Here he was complaining about finding a well-earning hospital as a neurologist and this girl just so happens to be recruiting him. Though a new company, he wasn't particularly excited to send resume after resume to any or every medical center around the country. Waiting an ungodly amount of weeks to see if they answer.
"Wow... Thanks! But are you sure that I'm qualified to be in your new company?" She simply nodded at his inquiry.
"Definitely! As I said, we were looking for someone of your trade. So..." she held out her drink. "Will you join us Doctor?"
"..." Their glasses clanked. "I'm in." Sealing the deal. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. They needed a neurologist after all and since it'll be handled by the State he'll most likely have a better pay than the other clinics. She sipped the last of her drink before getting up to wrap her arms around him. Giving him a little peck on the lips she pulled back, her face covered in tears as she looked at him in woe.
"Please don't forget me..."
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"""DOCTOR!"""
"Huh?!" He heard the girls call out to him. With his eyes fully open he was sitting down in front of a little encampment, his hand holding another Spider relic. Warfarin was the first one to check his vitals. Kneeling closer to see his eyes.
"His pupils aren't dilating." She put two fingers on his neck, then to his wrist. "Pulse is fine... Doctor, are you okay?"
"Wha- Oh! Yeah, I'm fine... What happened?"
"We should be asking you that Doctor." Blaze said as she explained to him. "We saw you walk away while Ceobe was finished cooking. You didn't respond when we called you until reached here, holding that spider rock."
"..." What the hell just happened? Was that a dream? A memory? He stood up and began to walk out of the cave. Leaving the Spider relic here, he'll get it later for the Rakyat.
"Doctor? Where are you going?" The Sarkaz worried about his demeanor alongside her two companions.
"I... I need some air! I'll be back. I promise."
"Be careful Doctor...!"
Doctor exited the cave in a dash. His breathing intensified. He didn't stop until he got out going as far as he can. He halted when he felt the burning sensation in his chest he gripped his knees. An internal panic that he's trying to quell.
He looked to the horizon. Seeing that a huge gathering of rainclouds has arrived. Darkening the skies, droplets hit him, it was a calming sensation that helped. A counter to his current state. Cold water for his lungs aflame.
Suddenly his phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Doctor." It was Dennis. "I have tried to reach you many times. What happened?"
"...Vaas captured me after I raided P.C. I made it out with some of my friends but he still has the others. Dennis... I... I wasn't strong enough to take him down..."
"You need the power to defeat Vaas. I cannot provide such strength. But, there is someone who can: Citra." He spoke the name with great reverence.
'Citra?'
"Citra gave you that ink? My sister gave you that ink, huh?"
"I'm gonna drive a bullet through my sister's skull."
"You are ready Doctor. You must go to her."
"Who is she?"
"Citra is the leader of our people. She can guide you to the center and reveal to you your true power. I've sent you coordinates to her temple deep within in the jungle."
He gave a quick peek at his map, looking to see where the temple was located. Deep in the jungle is right. The map blocked by radio jammers and under purview of some pirate outposts. Going to her temple without dealing with them will have the pirates breathing down on his neck. Not only that but if he's going to introduce himself to the leader of the Rakyat he's going to send a message, worthy of her attention.
"I may have to free some outposts first Dennis." He let the other call know beforehand.
"Do it. I'll meet you at the gate once you're done."
"Got it."
The call cut short. He was to meet with the main leader of the Rakyat who happens to be the sister of the crazed figurehead of every pirate, slaver and drug runner here on the island. Doctor can already feel the stress swallow him up as he sits down on the wet grass. His hands acting as a face cover while the rain continues to pour heavily down on him. This was all too much going on at once.
"What the hell have you gotten yourself into Doctor...?"