Cadence of Retribution: An Arknights AU Story - Arknights Collab Book

Prologue - Darkest Beginnings

Everyone knows how the story goes, how the story of the Doctor came to be, and how the Doctor changed the course of events that will forever etch itself in history, involving themself in precarious situations time and time again to have the desired outcome. Of course, the story would have never come to be without them, it would never have had the pre-destined fates of all the people they had an impact on. But that's not what this story is all about.

What if others made such major impacts? Others that have contemptuous pasts that have brought forth changes that were deemed... unnecessary. On the other hand, the word "unnecessary" could have deeper meanings.

And those meanings could spell a future with staggering outcomes.

...

Chernobog, once a bustling city under the Ursus nation now torn apart by a waging war harming the lives of both the innocent and the damned. The sounds of dread fill the streets creating an orchestra of disquietude. And the Reunion movement was the conductor of such sounds. Killing, murdering, and ransacking whatever they could find to spread a message of their goal. 

Infected freedom.

Blinded by their rage, they wage war on the Ursus government, committing whatever atrocity that they can to make their aim clear. But, that won't be easy. Whenever there is unjustified suffering, there are those with clear minds and righteous hearts that will not let the peril ooze even further.

*slash*

Enter a Sarkaz sporting short jet-black hair who struck down a masked militant with his sword. Dressed in a gray-red tactical jacket with a rather casual dress shirt underneath. On the side of his sleeve shoulder is a white printed logo of a tower, or rook piece, spelling out the words "Rhodes Island". His eyes, a sharp silver color, darted rapidly as combat ensued. Around him are other operators dressed in similar uniforms, except theirs, which were blue instead of red. They were fighting their way through the burning city of Chernobog, cutting a path open for a limping cloaked figure, who would soon be known as the Doctor

"Reunion... what are they doing here?" asked a blonde Kurantan knight in the fray, "I thought they were just a disorganized movement of the Infected."

"Nearl, watch out!" shouted a deep-voiced man with orange ear protectors as he bashed an assailant with his shield. As Nearl dodged out of the way, an unnoticed Reunion member sprang out of hiding aiming to bash her head. Even though she noticed the enemy and was about to counter, the Reunion member was suddenly shot in the head with such precision, he was dead before he even hit the ground. Blood oozed out of the clean hole that was perforated just a second ago. The Kuranta was confused as to what happened until a drop of a magazine was heard nearby.

"No need to thank me. Well, I did steal your kill after all." The rest of the group saw an individual spring from the shadows. The mysterious operator had short ash-grey hair with slightly pale skin. A pair of long, pointed ears poked out from the sides of his head. A dark serpentine tail slinked down to his calves, with a tip of grey at the end of it. Wearing the standard combat operator armor formally issued to formal operators, the man took off his visor similar to a certain Elite Operator, revealing his amber-colored eyes, almost like a pair of onyx jewels. He was seen replacing the magazine of his silenced pistol, cocking the new round of custom ammunition in before holstering the entire thing back to his hip.

"Is that the new guy?" asked a medic operator, turning to her right.

"Mhm- he was contracted from Sargon with approval from elite operator Misery. If I remember correctly, his codename is Shade." Answered a sniper operator. The medic had a look of disbelief before their gossip was interrupted by the Kurantan knight.