The Warriors and even the Temple Guard looked in awe at Doctor's appearance. For in his grasp lie the Silver Dragon knife. When he arrived, his first action was to show them the knife. The Temple Guards allowed him to return as they made a path for him back to the old Banyan Tree. When Doctor climbed up the stairs illuminated by its oil lamps he was met by Dennis and some of the guards.
"Welcome back, Doctor! I had nearly forgotten your face."
"Haaaa, glad to be back, Dennis. I've been busy..."
"I can see that and for the knife that is in your hand, yes?"
He nodded while showing him the ancient blade. Dennis looked at it, bewildered by its presence. Many Rakyat had tried to find such a relic. All returned empty-handed. Doctor's lengthy expedition had brought the Rakyat an honour now repaid.
"You return to us bearing that which has been lost." Citra's voice was heard as she approached from behind the Temple Guards. She sauntered up to the blooded Rakyat as he flipped the knife and handed the Silver Dragon to her from its handle. Carefully grabbing it, she looked at the blade as she told the history between it and the people of Rook Island in a short sentence.
"That blade spilled the blood of our ancestors. It has been conquered and the dead have been avenged." Handing the knife to a knelt Temple Guard, he took it away as Citra beckons him. "Come with me."
When Doctor and the others followed the leading matriarch of the tribe to the main hall, Citra dismissed them. Leaving only her and Doctor, the two leaders of their respective factions to walk up deeper into the temple. He looked around as they climbed up, seeing the infrastructure of the temple walls and the statues leading to the hallway of the courtyard. It was reminiscent of the venerable Shíshī or Stone Lions that Ch'en and Hoshiguma had shown in their pictures. When they reached the entrance Citra stopped to face the commander and freedom fighter of the Rakyat.
"What is it do you desire?" She asked him suddenly.
"...!" As she waited for his answer she looked at how he contemplated his words with a calm, neutral face. The man in front of her was not only smart, but his Tatau described him fully. Cunning as the Spider, Resilient as the Shark and Adaptable as the Heron. She's looking at the creation of a nigh perfect Warrior. When he thought about his answer he said.
"I'm... here for my friends."
"And...?" There has to be more than that. She knows there is. It's natural within him.
"If it means killing Vaas and Hoyt with my own bare hands. So be it." He looked down at his hands. Calloused and worn. Gripping them with his newfound strength and ensuring a promise not just for him, the Rakyat but also for someone very important to him.
There.
Perfect.
Leading him into the hall, she told a story. Waving in front of the images painted on walls. The first, a description of a body of water with some plants glowed with a blue shine. "Once... Long ago, there was a Lotus pond filled with clean water. The bank of smooth sand; the smell..." They both inhaled a fragrance coming from the Lotus pond. "...of blossoms moved the air." She then went to a distributing image, a red-faced creature in all black with its maw open. "But a Giant lived beneath the pond's surface, devouring any who came to its edge..."
Continuing to the opposite wall where a drawn Rakyat with a knife faced this Giant in a one on one duel. "A Warrior from the northern kingdom heard of the Giant and vowed to slay him. He painted the Tatau on his body and took power from the land of the dead." She gestured to the tattoos on their bodies. "And when he was ready, he walked the path of the Lotus pond. The Giant rose from still waters...
Reaching the end of the hall was the last image and epilogue of this epic. The Warrior had the severed head in his hand of the Giant and raised it as a show of victory. "And the Warrior raised his dagger. He cut the Giant's head clean off his body! The skull of the Giant fell to earth and became our island." Gripping his tattooed arms and bringing it closer to her, she finished. "The descendants of the Warrior became the Rakyat, our people."
Our people. So it's official then. Citra let go of his arms and explained a bit more about this story.
"Now another Giant has risen." With her hands on her hips she stated in a firm tone. "Prove to him you are worthy of the Tatau. Help us take his head. And I will give you the power you desire."
"...Show me."
Smiling at his answer, she walked away before leaving him a final statement. "Speak with Dennis. I will see you again soon, Warrior..."
When they both departed, Doctor walked out of the hallway and proceeded towards the exit of the temple. He took notice of some extra statues of women praying but it became a blur once he stepped down the stairs. There unexpectedly, the doors open, revealing Dennis sprinting to him.
"Doctor! We are leading an attack against a convoy of prisoners taken by Vaas." As he walked past him to warn the other Rakyat, the Doctor asked.
"Wait Dennis, what's the plan?! What should I do?!"
"An ambush. Go meet with the warriors you will be working with. They're in Churchtown and they'll be very happy to see you!" He waved in excitement before he remembered. "Also I heard that one of your friends is also a prisoner so you should hurry!"
With him going to the tree yard, Doctor had left with a motivated rush. He exited the temple and headed to the aforementioned Churchtown. His heartbeat pumping as he mounted on a quad bike and raced up the tracks. This was it! The final act of this whole ordeal and he's not gonna screw this up.
Speeding the vehicle he dashed by car after car passing as he had set mindset for this ambush.
'Wait for me Gav, I'm coming!'
There are no clouds today.
----------------------------------------
The pirate convoy will arrive shortly. An array of trucks protecting an armoured carrier with their own captured inside. The scouts sent by Citra have confirmed that the convoy will pass by here and then to a beach where the prisoners will be shipped off to a slave master offshore. Them passing Churchtown is a good opportunity to stage an attack. An ambush to save their people.
The best Rakyat warriors of Churchtown have fully integrated the town as a killzone. Machine gun nests, barricades, boarded up houses, explosive stockpiles. This town was ready for a discreet confrontation with the coming convoy. The fighters have been told where their positions are, the plan of attack and any backups to use in case the carrier decides to escape. It is only a matter of time until the warriors reveal themselves to the enemy.
Doctor soon reached Churchtown. He hopped out of the quad bike and headed to a church where the garrison leader was finishing up tying a bundle of C4 together. The neurologist heard another warrior from atop the church.
"Everyone! Get to your positions!"
Doctor went to the pews where he discussed with the leader about the plan of attack.
"It's good you're here, Doctor!" The leader complimented when he saw him enter.
"What should I do?" He asked the bomb maker.
"Vaas' trucks are gonna pass through this town from the South." The Rakyat explained while pointing to the entry road on the side of town. "We have to plant explosives on the fuel truck that's blocking the road."
"Give them to me, I got more for Vaas to show." Doctor then showed his collection of C4 and mines that he had retrieved from the various outposts across Rook Island. The Rakyat leader nodded, proud that he had such a prepared and dedicated warrior to their cause. Not only that but he was able to turn the tide in liberating outpost after outpost while diminishing the pirates' grip on their home. His contributions to the Path are a blessing to all their people. Patting him on the shoulder the warrior leader gave Doctor the bundle and he rushed off to the large fuel truck near them.
"We don't have much time, Doctor! Plant the PE4!"
Sticking the explosives on the truck, he responded. "Explosives ready! I'm setting up some mines!"
"Do it! The convoy's on its way!"
He took every motion sensitive mine and set them up at the front of the stairs that led to the church. Each step, grass blade and cement block for cover will have a hidden present for the pirates that dare to take cover there. After that, he planted more C4 on the road, kicking some dust over them to have each piece hidden. With several of his bombs tucked away, he ran into view and shouted at the Rakyat sniper.
"More traps planted! Where should I go?!"
"The water tower!" He pointed at the old water tower at the edge of town. Doctor spared no time and ran towards it. He then heard his phone ringing. Pressing on his earpiece, he answered.
"Hello?!"
"Doctor? It's Red."
"Hey, Red! Is something wrong?!"
"No. Blaze wanted to know where you went after you brought Mudrock here."
"I'm still working to find Gavial!" As he climbed up the metal ladder. "Red! I hate to say this but can we talk later?! I'm kinda busy at the moment!"
"Oh... okay... But before I hang up. The boat's almost ready to go."
"Really?!" He now reached the top where he unslung his rocket launcher.
"Yeah, we'll let you know when if it's ready."
"Please! I'll catch you later!"
"Okay... And Doctor..."
"Yeah!"
"If you need any help, let us know. We're family."
Family...
This is the first time he heard someone like Projekt Red say such an important phrase. The Specialist, quite literally considering her trade on Rhodes Island, who says that she prefers to work alone during missions. When he met the Wolf Hunter she questioned the concept of family. Bluntly saying she doesn't have a family that she has always been alone. "Do you think having a family is important, Doctor?" Is what she said to him.
Had the island really changed her that much?
"Convoy's here!"
"Okay! I promise to let you all know! I'll talk to you all later!"
"Bye, Doctor." When he cut the call he saw three vehicles crossing the bridge leading to Churchtown. An armored carrier was in between two trucks carrying a squad of fighters. But... Something was off about them when he saw them coming closer. Wearing Columbian or Bolivarian army style fatigues adorned with yellow armbands and balaclavas, tactical vests, helmets and equipped with what looks like state of the art firearms.
They look more like a professional army than a ragtag group of seafaring marauders.
"They're not Vaas' men... They're Hoyt's!" He saw those same people accompanying the Kingpin of Rook Island when he went to Beras Town. When the forward truck tried to circle around the booby trapped vehicle.
*BOOM*
A massive explosion engulfed the truck and its occupants. The ambush coming into fruition. Doctor fired his rocket launcher at the other truck. A second explosion that burned bright and the armed convoy members alive. The armor is now stuck between still immolating vehicles and a vengeful group of rebels looking to free their brothers. As he reloaded his weapon, a third truck approached, coming to reinforce the trapped vehicle.
Doctor simply waited. Holding the trigger as it rode into one of the dirt mounds.
"Almost there... almost there..."
*Beep*
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
Coming from the woods and the church were several more of these guys. Whether they came in on foot or were air dropped in from helicopter he didn't know. However they were also not in the know. When they walked down the stairs, ran through grass and headed to nearby cover, the mines detonated. Sending the sudden reinforcing troopers into a terrified mess when they were hit by shrapnel, smoke or their buddy's missing limbs.
The mines made short work on those soldiers.
Doctor pressed the trigger for another hidden C4 at a fourth truck coming this way with the fireball technical flying up in the air and landed on its roof. The amount of traps and firepower had thoroughly diminished the convoy's protection. Yet more came along from behind the church to defend the armor. One of them tapped the vehicle ordering it to escape while they handled the mass of Rakyat shooting at them. It was a much of quality versus quantity.
"That truck's getting away!" Sure enough the armoured vehicle started its engine and drove through the firewall left behind by the ambush. Looking around the water tower, the Doctor found a zipline leading to a cargo truck where the Rakyat had disembarked all of their weapons from.
"I'm heading for the truck!" Rappelling down from the water tower he saw two of the soldiers emerging from the houses and headed to the truck. "Mine..." Doctor got out his Dead Man's Gun and with several consecutive shots he peppered the duo soldiers with deadly armor-piercing pistol rounds. As he descended from the zipline, he ran to the driver's seat and started the truck. Driving and tailing the convoy's sole remaining vehicle.
He had his head down when a blockade tried to stop him on the road. The men in yellow fired everything they had at the driver and the engine. Given the size of the truck he was able to plow throw and ram a few of Hoyt's men that shot his windshield into pieces. He continued to follow the prison truck, colliding with another technical in a vain attempt to steer him off the road.
For whatever reason the armoured truck stopped near some shacks in front of a river. Doctor soon parked his truck in front of the carrier and got out only for more soldiers to come out and engage out of the shacks. Taking cover he threw a grenade over him as he unslung his machine gun. The soldiers ran when they saw him throw the grenade before Doctor emerged out of cover and fired at the backs of the running mercs after it blew up. One of them fell and tried crawling away but was then shot some more.
Doctor headed to the shacks. Seeing if anymore were hidden inside. When he secured the small pier he turned around to the parked trucks and walked towards it.
"Gavial!"
*BOOM*
The convoy exploded, blowing Doctor a few meters away and crashing into the shacks behind him.
He then saw black.
----------------------------------------
"Did I ever tell you what the definition of insanity is...?"
Doctor heard Vaas in a muddled voice. Or was that him? He also heard water... The river near Churchtown?
"Insanity." Vaas explained clearly. "Is." As his vision and hearing became clearer. "Doing the exact." He saw two pirates struggling with a captured Rakyat. "Same, fucking thing." He saw that his hands and feet were behind him, binded in rope. "Over and over again," He saw that Vaas let him keep his knives sheathed in his belt. "Expecting shit to change." He saw that his mouth was censored with tape as he looked at Vaas sitting on a beer crate as he finished what the definition of insanity is.
"That is crazy..."
*mumble* *mumble*
"But the first time somebody told me that." He had his fingers to chest and shrugged. "I don't know, I thought they were bullshitting me so, boom... " He led his fingers in an arc to his temple. "I shot him." He pointed his finger down. "The thing is: okay..." He chuckled.
"He was right."
*mumble* *mumble*
He shuffled against the rock that he was resting on as the pirates in front of him continued to struggle with the warrior. Vaas raised his hands up slightly as he continued.
"And then I started to see it." His fingers were straightened flat. "Everywhere I look..." Wandered left. "Everywhere I looked," Wandered right. "All these fucking pricks, "Wandered in front. "Everywhere I looked," His hand went down and his finger pointed elsewhere, jabbing the air. "Doing the exact same fucking thing..." His hand waved around in a circle. "Over and over and over and over and over again." His hand darted to his temple.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
"Thinking..."
His finger pointed down.
"This time..."
His finger pointed at him.
Doctor.
"It's gonna be different- Nononono, please!"
His finger pointed down.
"This time, it's going to be different."
*mumble* *mumble*
Doctor shuffled around. More violently as he tried to grab his knife.
"I'm sorry."
Doctor continued to squirm.
"I don't like the way...
He looked at Vaas as he punched the beer crate away.
"You are looking at me, okay?!
*mumble* *mumble* The struggle between the pirates and warrior was now over as the former had the latter tied up and carrying a cinder block.
"You have a fucking problem in your head?"
*mumble* 'In more ways then one.'
"Do you think I'm bullshitting you?"
*mumble* 'In more ways then one.'
"Do you think I'm lying?"
*mumble* 'In more ways then-'
"Fuck you!" Vaas cursed in front of his hooded face as he jabbed his finger into the spot where he shot him through. "Okay! Fuck you!" Vaas stepped back from as he saw the struggle between the pirates and the villager was over with the latter falling and screaming to the hole beside him, a large smacking splash was heard below. "It's okay, man..." Vaas chuckled. "I'm gonna chill, hermano." Vaas walked to a tied cinder block, Doctor connected the rope to his tied wrists and realized what he was planning to do. "The thing is... All right." Vaas had both fingers pointed at him. "The thing is, I killed you once." He landed a finger on one digit. "I killed you twice, with fire." He landed a finger on two digits. "And I killed you three times with a truck that had nobody in it."
"...!" His eyes widened when he heard that
"Yeah, wake up stupid!" Vaas pistol whipped him on the side of his head. "Your girlfriend was never here!" Vaas walked up to him. "And the rest of the warriors were all dead when I found them." Vaas pointed at him. "And you're next with the rest of them down there." Vaas pointed at the waterhole beside them. "And it's not like I... Am fucking crazy." Vaas had his curled fingers pointed at himself. "It's okay..." Vaas waved a hand on top of the waterhole. "It's like water under the bridge."
...
Vaas then went up and removed the tape from his mouth with a harsh pull.
"Did I ever tell you the definition... of insanity?"
Vass then went to the cinder block and pushed it with his boot.
Doctor can look in horror as he felt the weight of the block drag him down. He even tried to crawl away with all his might put into his body.
But to no avail.
"VAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSS!"
Doctor dived deep into his watery grave.
----------------------------------------
A pirate was in front of a waterfall. He had his hand taking small pool for him to drink as he went back in for another before a hand came out of the waterfall grabbed his nape, pulled him to the waterfall and he felt a stone like object bludgeoning his face, cracking his skull repeatedly. Doctor threw him aside before he tore his shirt, wrapped it around the Spider relic and grabbed his rifle. He snuck to another unsuspecting pirate where he forced his head as he slit his throat. Looting for some of his ammo, the lone survivor from that watery grave saw that he was at a river with several ruins, one entrance up ahead and a severed stone head among the foliage. He heard more gunshots as the neurologist headed to a deceased Rakyat where the pirates had impaled him with a machete.
Going deeper into the jungle he stumbled across a ridge where he was able to survey an immense pirate camp divided by a river. From a distance he saw several pirates beating then shooting either captured Rakyat warriors or the villagers that were unfortunate to stumble upon them. Over at the other side of the camp was a helicopter that just arrived. "A way out..." He murmured when he saw the aerial vehicle landing.
He positioned himself to get a good jump when he saw a pirate below the ridge. Springing off the ledge he landed on the pirate and jammed his down at the pirate's chest. Doctor then hugged the wall of a building where a sniper was dawdling around. When he went to a ledge, the Doctor grabbed the edge and thrusts his tanto into the heart of the sniper who fell towards him to the ground in shock and deathly pain. Taking his rifle, he rushed to the other shacks, hiding behind a bush covered wire fence where he stole the pirate's knife and slammed it into the his astonished head before Doctor threw the used knife at a pirate with a rocket launcher who sat at a watchtower before he felt sharp metal piercing his neck. Doctor ran to take his weapon as he behind some wooden/metal cover. Running out into the open he lunged at another pirate dragging a dead villager and slammed his knife into the pirate's head.
With the overwatching pirates gone he proceeded to the center campsite in front of a captured fish market. The gallows of fresh bodies hanging in the wind. Blood puddles painted the sand in differing spots. Creeping behind a pirate to stab him through the chest, steal his knife and threw it at his friend's neck from behind. He entered the fish market where he found a cache of ammo for his temporary equipment.
Heading to the bridge, he jabbed one of the pirates dumping the heaps of corpses down the river and pushed him with all the other before slicing the other pirate who turned around and saw the still alive Rakyat who then walked past him as he fell back into the soaking red waters. Sneaking to a machine gun nest on top of a shed he crept behind he one manning it, simply resting his torso on it out of boredom, before his head was skewered by a downward jamming knife. With a commanding view, he saw pirates all around a landed helicopter. Some were lazing around on their trucks, walking around or were leaning on a set of shanties underneath the cliffside. Doctor cocked the lever of the gun and proceeded to shoot at the snipers on top of the huts. The heavy caliber tearing them to shreds as he then turned to turret to the trucks where it caught fire and blew up by the massive firepower of the gun. The pirates, from the unarmored to the heavy variety, found themselves at the mercy of a Ghost eviscerating them with a red hot machine gun capable of tearing apart both flesh and steel.
Doctor soon saw the propellers turning. The pilot was about to make a run, or fly, for it. Jumping from the nest, running towards the cabin and walked up to the cockpit where he pulled the pilot's pistol and jabbed it at his head.
"You wanna leave?! TAKE OFF NOW!"
"OK! OK!" Doctor saw from the pilot's window more trucks coming in. He then heard an amalgamation of voices from behind as he shouted.
"GET US UP! GO! MOVE, DAMMIT!" He unslung his rocket launcher and with one hand he fired down at the cluster of vehicles which torched this whole part of the encampment into an inferno. Doctor then fired wildly with both his stolen pistol and automatic rifle. Some pirates were killed, wounded or dodging the stray bullets. The slide of his pistol gliding back and his rifle clicking, both signifying that they're empty. As he holstered his pistol, throwing the rifle away and pulling out his sniper to continue firing blindly he searched the cabin for a spare clip for any of the guns he has on hand before he went back to the ground where he saw one of the pirates readying a launcher and firing his rocket at the helicopter. His eyes looked on at shock when the warhead hit the engine.
*BOOM*
He was blasted back into the gunport seat as he instinctively held on the metal bar attached to it while the helicopter spun out of control. The fire reaching in the cabin, sirens blaring, he looked behind to see the pilot unconscious.
He then saw black.
----------------------------------------
Vaas saw the chopper crash into the trees near the shore. He smacked the truck to go faster. They were near. Driving off road, passing trees and high grass, they have the burning wreckage in plain sight. With the truck stopping in a skid the pirate warlord was the first to hop off.
He calmly walked towards the crash site his rifle leaning against his shoulder. Doctor in the crash was on his hands and knees. Crawling out with an empty pistol in hand. Vaas reached the crashed helicopter, both hands on his rifle as Doctor soon got up from his hands though still disoriented. Vaas scratched the side of his as Doctor slowly entered a new magazine that he found scattered away from the cockpit. The two opponents then looked at each other. It was there that they saw their own depleted mental capacity despite their ingenious capabilities to draw up plans to execute them flawlessly whilst remaining self-aware.
Doctor was the first one to speak.
"What... is it..." he said with a bloody face, most of it slathering his mouth. "that distinguishes us from this land...? Our breath... or feeling..." His breathing was heavy. "Life... and death?"
Vaas was the first one to respond as he nodded while squatting in front of him.
"Hmm, You..." He pointed at him. "never told me the definition... of insanity." He stated as he stood back up.
They both aimed their guns.
*BANG*
*BANG*
*PING*
*BANG*
*BANG*
*Thud*
...
...
...
It was the first time in a long while that Vaas felt a bullet hit him.
----------------------------------------
Dennis and the rest of the Rakyat didn't mind the storm pelting them.
Today was a great tragedy. Many villagers and Rakyat died this day at village and fish market that was supposed to be made into a pirate outpost. The project didn't meet its completion as whoever was responsible went to kill its garrison and turn one side of the village into a smoldering crater. All that's left there are the corpses coming down the river and the ones buried in a deep hole near it. All of the Rakyat, including Dennis, were accustomed to such savagery but this was beyond inhuman.
Though there was one that damaged the Rakyat severely. Doctor died by Vaas himself. He had him be the first body to be buried in the hole.
With help from the villages, the Rakyat had pulled out their dead from the river and brought digging tools for the hole in order to give them a proper burial. An act of human decency for these poor people. It was the least they can do... When the villagers are ready, shovels, pickaxes and makeshift bodybags in hand a terrifying event occured before them. It was something that was spoken in cursed legends, only to bring out horror to the villages.
An arm, covered in the Tatau had risen out of the corpses. Then came a second arm. Soon a whole body of a hooded man emerged. His arms forcing himself out of the hole and into the ground above. The man was covered in gore and soil as he inhaled clean air. He then clambered away from the carcasses before he turned over and harshly emptied out his stomach into the wet dirt. An eyeball came out of his mouth which caused him to hurl even more and with higher intensity.
"ONE OF THE RAKYAT IS BACK!"
"HE'S COME BACK FROM THE DEAD!"
As the villagers ran off in complete fear, Dennis and the rest of the Rakyat came up to the emesis spewing deadman who they recognized him as...
"Doctor!"
"Dennis...!" The aforementioned Doctor clumsily got up to his feet as Dennis helped him up. Holding him in place so that he doesn't trip over. The Rakyat leader then questioned the once believed deceased Doctor.
"How is this possible...?!"
His response: Both hands went up to his person. One unwrapped the bandages on his head and revealed to Dennis the bullet that grazed him and entwined in the cloth. The second went to his chest pocket where he pulled out Vaas' lighter that caught the other bullet aiming for his heart. Dennis was amazed at his fortune. To encounter Vaas once more and survive his execution.
"Luck favors you my friend." Dennis said with his pistol directing at the shot items ans individual. Doctor turned around to the hole where he was buried alive with the other unfortunate people.
"Who's responsible for this?"
"Vaas, in celebration of your death. But it was more of a show for Hoyt." Dennis explained to him which lit a silent anger within.
"I'm not so easy to kill..." The Doctor threw the useless items to the ground. He then told the Rakyat in front of him. "Tell Citra and the rest of the warriors that I'm still in the fight! Our guns won't stop until both Vaas and Hoyt fall and your islands liberated!" In a short, motivated speech with a raised fist, reminiscent of his time leading the Ursus Reunion insurrection and now the entire Empire, the Rakyat cheered, lifting their weapons high, for the coming future that they will soon see as free men and the Giants die by their blades.
As soon as they hopped back on their trucks. Dennis let Doctor know about his...
"Doctor, I should let you know that the pirates have recently moved a shipment of weapons nearby. It's just north of here." He motioned his pistol behind him
"Alright, I'll meet you back at the Temple once I'm done here."
"Good luck!"
With the partners separating Doctor headed to the village where the weapons were holed up. A few meters up the dirt road, the day was still bright and cloudless. There in the distance he found a dainty village shadowed by a radio tower with a few pirates hanging around. Fortunately he had this tower online; removed of its scramblers some days back. Seeing as Vaas still allowed them to keep his knives he snuck behind a metal sheet fence and waited for the beheaders to wander around with their backs turned.
Going behind one of them, he perforated a large hole through his chest, taking his machete and threw it at his beheader twin. He went to that beheader, grabbed his machete and went to a shack. He hid to the side of the building when an inebriated firebomb thrower came out sluggishly not noticing the deadman flipping a machete, holding by its blade and throwing it at the back of his head. Taking a gander inside he found a single mine untouched by any of the pirates here. Confiscating it alongside a firebomb from the dead drunkard he went to the last house of this village.
There were only two that he could see. A large pirate inside the house and his hound sniffing the ground from the outside. Rushing to the building without any of them noticing, he lit the cocktail with the match the came along with it and threw it far towards the hound. Drenched in burning liquid the creature was snuffed out as it ran into the woods while the pirate watched on as he exited the house. Seeing that his hound was too far gone he went back to the house only to step on a hard object. Looking down he saw a...
*BOOM*
Doctor snuck behind him to place a charged mine for the heavier set pirate. He hid behind and waited for the boom to fool the unaware lug. As it did he peered to see the pirate coming down and his bisected corpses landing on a beer. His entrails oozing out and blackening the ground. The village is now empty.
He went inside the house, well... More like a butcher shop. Bodies on tables with their eyes blinded by a stained cloth. They were either dissected, quartered, pincushioned with rusted knives and machetes. It was something out of a horror film. The smell also made him churn out a small river of bile into his throat.
Passing the meat shop he went inside to a familiar looking metal locker left open. Inside he found weapons among his belongings: The Dead Man's Gun, silenced AMR, an automatic rifle used by the convoy retinue, an RPG, all the ammo that came with them, new body armor and last but not least was his phone alongside Willis' earpiece. Unfortunately, the bow was nowhere to be found and the binoculars were busted. Only the quiver of arrows was left. Nevertheless, he took what he got and exited.
Over at the horizon he saw smoke trails. Pirate outposts. Taking out his sniper, he had a goal before going back to Citra.
Payback time.
----------------------------------------
The Neck's Diner.
"What was that?" A pirate curiously wandered near the opening of a metal sheet fence. He heard something there yet when he looked, all he can see is the foliage. Turning around back to his position he felt his head raised and his neck torn open by a fine, Higashi blade. Doctor pulled him back to the plants where he dumped the body and climbed up the main outpost quarters where he overlooked the area.
4 pirates left. They were all scattered. Bringing out his sniper he waited for one of them to head to the back of a garage. When he did he placed a clean shot at the back of his head. The other pirate was smoking behind a shipping container, it was an easy shot since he didn't need to change position and just sniped him from the same spot. Two pirates left and they were much less difficult to handle.
They were both on opposite ends of the outpost. Acting as walking security checkpoints given their bulky armor. However, even with his gun's armor-piercing rounds, their face masks can only cover one side of their heads. Waiting for a truck to pass by filled with a patrol he aimed and fired at the backs of both pirate's heads. Each bullet blasting their cranial contents and masks off at a considerable distance.
It was just easy pickings.
The Neck's Diner. Liberated.
----------------------------------------
Doctor snuck into the barn as the heavy pirate went by allowing him to silently climbed the stairs. Reaching up, he waited for the other heavy pirate accompanying the wanted man to walk around the crates for him to get a clear shot. His sniper instantly discharged and the towering guard fell before Doctor snuck behind the pirate leader and slit his throat. All the pirates at the farm hadn't noticed that their leader died. This led to Doctor grabbing an armful of plastic explosives from his satchels and threw them around where the pirates are.
Pressing the button the farms shooks as the explosions blew apart the off guard firebomb throwers as he went back the stairs to fire another armor-piercing round at the heavy he snuck past.
No pirate's leaving the island alive.
----------------------------------------
Kell's Boat Repairs.
Doctor pulled one of the pirates down into the sea. Stabbing him in the chest as he tried to swim back to warn the others. The Rakyat returned to the surface for a gulp of air after which he returned to the water. He used the dead pirate to bait another, grabbing the corpse by its belt as he hid underneath the pier. When the second pirate came along he let go, slowly swimming under the curious pirate who thought his friend accidentally fell into the sea. As he reached to the body, a hand shot out and pulled him under, Doctor stabbing him the same way he did to his friend.
As he emerged out of the sea and into dry land, the rebel infiltrator looked back at the caged rabid hounds, a part of the plan to be set in motion. Going to an opening of the outpost he charged at a firebomb thrower near the alarm at rammed his knife through before he dragged him out of view from the others. Going back in, he went to the stairs up the outpost shack where he snuck behind a rocketeer and stabbed him through the side of his neck. Because of their position he left the corpse there as the others simply stayed at the bottom floor. Coming down from the shack Doctor left the outpost.
He ran to the hills layered in tall grass and palm trees. He aimed his sniper at the cage and fired to free the ravenous hounds that rushed to the closest source of meat. The last remaining pirates that hadn't been taken down by Doctor. He simply observed the beasts from afar tearing the diminished pirates into shreds so that they can ingest their long-awaited food that they all have been desperately denied. Soon, they tore off some scraps and escaped into the wilderness.
Kell's Boat Repairs. Liberated.
----------------------------------------
Broken Neck Home.
A bullet hit a pirate sniper with enough force to make him fall off his position. Doctor waited a bit more for the other pirates at the main outpost building to separate. The rocketeer was left alone when his partner went down the stairs and he ended the same. The bullet pushed him back but remained relatively on the same spot above the other pirates. He then went to the last bullet meant for the outpost.
A tiger trapped in a cage saw that she is now free as the bamboo had somehow broke apart. She attacked a large human who had his back facing her and didn't know about the beast being let loose. The creature lunged, ripping out the spine off the heavy pirate with its strong jaws before all the other pirates and hounds fall upon her in a bloody, shocking mess. The force of the giant felinid swipes cracked the necks of the dogs before she ran towards the other pirates, aiming for their necks. Their puny bullets either missing or grazing the beast as they all fall, their necks torn open then taken as a meal towards her new hiding spot.
Broken Neck Home. Liberated.
----------------------------------------
The relics he found were a list to follow down the Rook Island peninsula as shown in the map. As he liberated each outpost, he went to the relics to collect. The benefits finding them had led him to discover various ways to create vaccines and finding weapons that had proven to be essential. Somehow, for a supernatural reason, he had experimented with two vaccines. One that made him unvulnerable, or in a scientific manner a painkiller or boosted his adrenaline to ignore the damage, and the other was capable of instantly killing any pirate or creature with a direct hit with his weapons, or in a scientific manner: his brain hyperfocuses on hitting the weak point of his enemy with deadly accuracy.
Going back to the relics. The list is as follows: When he escaped Vaas' aquatic death trap he heard the chants of the Rakyat and followed it above a waterfall where he found that same Spider relic that he used to smash the pirate's brains in. Then he found two boar relics in different caves from across the peninsula. A shark relic at a camp where somebody made a camp before it was eerily abandoned. And finally were two heron relics. One was at the summit of Rook Point Tower, a lighthouse just across the bridge from Broken Neck Home and the other was further away at shrine in some small island that he reached via hand glider.
According to the map, he managed to find all the relics described here. 70 odd relics and it showed in the dots on his Tatau.
----------------------------------------
Doctor laid down on his cot back at Broken Neck. He was reading the memory cards downloaded on his phone, this time only having two to read. The Khat formula showed data from the pirates Ibut plantation owner. It details the 8 years required to grow the chewable leaves of this plant, as well as attempts to naturally intensify its amphetamine-like high. Markets are exclusive to the rest of Sargon, though market penetration cannot compete with Sargonian manufacturing. The card say that blending this compound with other drugs should be considered to make it more appealing.
*Ring* *Ring* He pressed the down on his earpiece as he waited for the second formula to pop up.
"Hello?"
"Doctor." It was Dennis. "I must warn you. Vaas is a might warrior but Hoyt is like a Demon. Many of the Rakyat have attacked his island. None have returned." And he came with a warning.
"One at a time Dennis. First Vaas... then Hoyt."
"What you're telling me is not possible. I could not even do it."
And what he's telling Doctor doesn't fly. Wasn't their fight against the two corrupting warlords the whole reason why they chose to pick up the gun? To free themselves from their slavers, influences and bribery? And that means to sever the heads of the whole pirate organization, literally if need be. Furrowing his brow, Doctor responded with a phrase. The same one he remembered when he received his Tatau.
"'There's a first time for everything,' Dennis. This time, it's be a first for the Rakyat."
"Hmmm... Big words. But Dr. Earnhardt told me that your friends are almost finished fixing the boat. You will be leaving soon."
He hung up, leaving Doctor to read the Heroin formula on his phone:
"The data purchased from a Lord Ameer pertaining to the manufacture of heroin tells us nothing new. It details information on the proper soil and temperatures for growing the poppy itself, to harvesting the opium, to the purification of morphine and its extraction into a heroin base. Again, all information we already have. Further deals for "trade secrets" with this contact should be avoided."
Doctor swiped the documents away as he went to his contacts after uttering a few words.
"...Not yet."
*Ring* *Ring*
"Hello?"
"Hey Provence, it's Doctor."
"Oh, hey Doctor. We're almost done getting ready for the boat to move."
"Nice work. But that isn't what I'm calling about."
"What is it Doctor? If you need anything, you can always tell us."
"Yeah that's exactly it."
"Doctor?"
"Red called me about this and Blaze was the first to speak on it... Tell everyone this:" He took a deep breath before letting it out. This time, he won't take on Vaas alone. "I need help. Help that only Operators can offer. I'll send you coordinates to where I am currently."
"...I'll tell them Doctor."
"Thank you Provence."
"Of course."
Cut.