Hurt and Heal (Arknights)

Chapter 4: I see death in my mirror

A/N: This chapter has been rewritten. Enjoy.

The giant was still running, feeling the air fill with sulphur as the sky and horizon grew ever more orange. The heat had risen rapidly. To the point of reaching a similar temperature to that of a spring day instead of winter.

Sebastian: The rendezvous point is just ahead!

He said to his colleagues, who were beginning to reach their endurance limits, in a vain attempt to motivate them. They arrived at a gigantic roundabout featuring a statue of a man in armor. Sebastian looked around, as did Nearl. He began to hear familiar footsteps and turned towards one of the streets where he could see the rest of the Rhodes Island troops.

A smile graced his lips when he saw the rabbit at their head.

Amiya: Doktah!

Sebastian: You're all fine. Wonderful...

Ace: See Dobermann ? I told you he would get here before us.

Amiya: Doktah your shoulder...?

The eyes of many turned to the giant's huge hole in his shirt. To see that beneath the traces of blood, there was perfectly healthy skin, without the slightest scratch.

Sebastian: I've been treated.

He said, making a small movement towards Nearl. Camouflaging the truth. Then he hurried to change the subject.

Sebastian: How long before the catastrophe strikes?

Dobermann: Impossible to say, contact with the landship and the rest of Rhodes Island is still interrupted.

Ace: Inter-city communication is restored. But the catastrophe must be blocking communications in a wider area. For the moment, we're in the eye of the storm so to speak.

Sebastian: I see. Then there's not a minute to lose. Listen, everyone, I know you're exhausted, but the top priority is to get us out of this quagmire! And to do that, we just need to hang on a bit longer!

Tired eyes all turned to him, who seemed to shine in the darkness. A pillar, a bulwark through the darkness.

Sebastian: And I-

*cling cling*

He watched a grenade roll across the ground near his feet, before widening his eyes.

The Rhodes Island troops went on full alert in an instant, and the giant was the first to use his reflexes and speed to kick the grenade into the ground, sending it flying away. All defenders raised their shields in the direction of the grenade, while Sebastian shielded Amiya's body from potential shrapnel.

The object exploded, shaking the troops on Rhodes Island and grazing a few. The doctor felt shrapnel digging into his back.

Dobermann: Contact !!!

Dozens and dozens of footsteps emerged from their hiding places, in what appeared to be an ambush executed to perfection, and the giant stood up to see that they were soon surrounded by soldiers. Most of them looked like mercenaries, far from the colors of reunion, with an air of veterans in their movements, but what challenged the giant the most was that these people looked like they were not animals like the others, but real demons.

Of all the Rhodes Island operators, the only ones who didn't look terrified were Yato's team, Ace and Amiya.

Fang: S-sarkazs...

Dobermann: Doctor, what do we do?

He began to murmur.

Sebastian: Adnachiel, you see that car on the right, would one of your arrows be able to go through the boot?