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Chernobog. Capital city of the once proud nation of Ursus, though one could find nothing grand or majestic if they ever were to step foot in it now. The buildings, once the pinnacle of genius Ursus engineering and architecture, now stood desolate over the dim streets, their shadows looming over its citizens, a perfect indication of the future of the city and its' inhabitants.
Not that there were many anyway. Many had fled during the Great Reunion riot, and many more lay dead, buried underneath the very streets and buildings they once called home. The roads were empty and the shops dark, save a few taverns and bars that continued to service their loyal patrons even in times like these. One would wonder how the city's inhabitants could even stomach the miserable state that they were living in, but no questions were ever raised and this, no answer was found.
To the outside eye, Chernobog represented the very image of a failed dream, of a city that was crushed under the weight of its own success, of a people that drank from a cup so sweet, they had no idea it was laced with poison. And it is this condescending, patronizing viewpoint that would get many an outsider killed, were they ever to step foot within its borders.
Only the best, the bravest and the luckiest (or perhaps the craziest, who's to say there isn't a correlation?) were capable of surviving Chernobog, which is why when a large Reunion escort were spotted protecting an Originium weapons cache, Penguin Logistics were immediately dispatched to intercept and neutralize the threat and, if possible, without civilian casualties.
"Doctor, we've closed in on the coordinates you sent us. We'll be setting off on foot from here. ETA, ten minutes." Texas tapped into her headset as she turned into an alleyway, bringing the van to a halt and turning off the engine.
"Good. Gear up and set a perimeter around the objective. Make sure no one goes in and out. I want eyes on the package at all times. When the package moves, so do you. Your job is to keep the package in one place and buy us time until extraction arrives. Got it?" His voice rang loud and clear in their headsets as Texas took a quick glance around her team, strapping her sword on her waist.
"Roger that, Doc. You want eyes on the package, you can count on me. I'll take point on the tallest structure I can find." Exusiai grinned, chambering more rounds into her SMG and stuffing extra magazine cartridges in her pockets.
"Yes, Doctor. We're ready. Wish Mostima was with us." Sora affirmed before clearing her throat. Their objective was to stay quiet and not alert their enemies, but if things went south, Sora's voice would definitely help in a fight.
"Gotcha, Baws! Just a question! How long til extraction arrives? Don't wanna be pushing too many of them Reunion scum too much or they'll bring out the big boys, yaknow?" Croissant chimed in, strapping the handles of her shield on her forearm before sliding the door open.
"Amiya and I will be on site in thirty, along with Sesa, Greythroat and Hoshiguma to bring along that extra firepower if we so need it. Mostima's recovering from her last fight, but she'll be here too. She'll be happy to see y'all again. Hold out for just thirty minutes. Do us proud, yeah?"
"Won't be anything new." Texas replied curtly and stepped out. "Over and out."
The operators silently made their way towards their objective, splitting up to occupy their positions respectively. Exusiai was their main intel gatherer and was responsible for alerting the team on any developments regarding the package. Sora was the team's morale support and damage amplifier, or 'hype man', in Exusiai's words. With no combat capabilities of her own, she was stationed in the van, where her magical voice could be transmitted to everyone on the team.
Texas and Croissant were the sword and the shield, responsible for eliminating any and all targets through sheer force and ferocity. They were set up in specific chokepoints, where their abilities would be used with maximum efficiency if need be.
The first five minutes went by smoothly, much to their surprise and by the tenth minute, the operators were starting to wonder if there was going to be any movement after all. The package could be a decoy, but the Doctor has not reported any new developments on his end.
"Hey Tex..~" Exusiai's voice chimed in through the comms suddenly, laced with a hint of mischief.
"Exusiai."
"During your last conversation with the Doc..."
"What of it?"
The Sankta let out a small chuckle and sighed. "Actually you know what? It's better if I don't say anything."
"Exusiai, what are you talking abo—"
"She means when are ya gonna stop blueballin' the baws and actually ask him out on a date, ya dense Lupo. It's pretty obvious to all of us that ya have the hawts for him." Croissant interrupted, joining in on the fun.
Texas was so shocked she nearly forgot the mission objective. "Where is this coming from?"
Sora's voice crackled over the intercom a second later, apparently not wanting to miss out on the fun. "It is pretty obvious," She insisted, giggling. "You can't seem to ever have a natural conversation with him. The last exchange you had with him was so robotic and emotionless. Won't be anything new. Over and out. Were you trying to impress him?"
Sora's impression of the Lupo had the whole team chuckling, which flustered the already blushing Texas further, though she did her best to maintain her composure. "I did not sound like that."
"Yeah, you did." Exusiai snickered, clearly enjoying this. It wasn't everyday that the Sankta got to see her often distant, aloof colleague react like this, and on the days that they managed to get through that cool façade, it was such a sight to behold. "Isn't the first time either. Happens every goddamned time. You never talk to him the way you talk to us. It's always business one way or the other. Even on the days when we're off duty, I've never seen you partake in leisure activities, or even offer a ciggy to him, for that matter."
"Ya aren't foolin' no one, Tex~" Croissant teased. "Ya only act thataway either towards the people ya really hate or really like. And I can guarantee ya that the Doctor ain't fallin' into the former category anytime soon."
"Minds on the mission, people. Keep the chatter to a minimum." Texas insisted, eager to change the subject. "We've made far too much noise already. Fifteen minutes til extraction arrives."
"You do you, Tex, but don't wait too long. I heard that Lappland has already star— Hmm, interesting. They've made their move. Look alive, ladies." Exusiai reported, chewing on a bubble gum. "Twenty goons headed towards you, Croissant. Big and heavily armored. Hold them off, do not let them through. Tex, provide offensive support for Cro. When the shooting starts, it's about to get messy. It's our job to show them what we're made of. If you agree, say aye."
"Aye. Leave it to Reunion to spoil the party fifteen minutes before exfil..." Sora muttered. sighing. "Alright, I'm sending Doctor the live feed of our set up so he knows what's going on. Ready yourselves. It's about to get loud."
"Aye-aye! Them Reunion scum ain't gettin' thru me without a fight!"
"Aye. Let's do this. Exusiai, cover me."
The peaceful silence of the night erupted into chaos as bullets rained down on the unsuspecting goons, courtesy of Exusiai and her SMG. Four soldiers hit the ground, dead before they even knew what was going on. The rest of Reunion hastily gathered whatever gear they could find, desperately hoping that the Angel of Death's bullets did not find their mark.
"Turn up the music, Sora!" Exusiai roared, laughing maniacally as she peppered Reunion with bullets. "Ah, shit. Cro, Tex. They spotted me. Retreating to a safer distance. I shot down a third of their forces. The rest is up to you. I'll join in the fight again when I find another vantage point."
"Roger that. We'll take it from here." Texas nodded, unsheathing her sword.
"You all owe me apple pie."
As Reunion closed in on their positions, Croissant stepped forward, shield in one hand and hammer in the other. "Come one, come all! Let Croissant show ya what it means to be the best of a rowdy bunch!" She declared, pushing back the offense with a grin, emboldened by the sound of Sora's music in her ears.
Texas stepped out from behind, raising her arm and bringing it down quickly, raining energy swords on her enemies. Another five more fell before the might of her Arts abilities. Those that were unfortunate enough to survive were left dazed and confused from the surprise of the attack, and were swiftly brought down with one or two good swings from Croissant's hammer.
Dealing with the first wave was easy enough, but the second wave was better equipped and prepared this time. Marching down the route in orderly fashion, the main guard, consisting of both elite Reunion soldiers and Sarkaz mercenaries, instilled a sense of dread in the operators.
"Holy shit. Here come the big boys." Exusiai reported, having found a new structure to settle in. "My bullets won't do jack against these guys. I can try to distract them, slow them down but anything more than that would require something of a miracle."
"Five more minutes, just five more minutes..." Sora mumbled nervously, desperately sending distress messages to Rhodes Island in the hopes of a quicker exfil.
"Regular ol' Friday night, ain't it? Come on girls, we gotta survive this! I dunno about y'all but I personally wanna see the look on Doctor's face when Texas finally professes her love for him." Croissant grinned, wiping the blood off her face. It wasn't hers, thankfully but with the adrenaline pumping through her veins, she could've gotten stabbed and probably not even feel it.
"Doctor will pull through. He'll be here." Texas agreed, tightening her grip on her sword. "And no, Cro. I won't be professing anything anytime soon."
"Won't hurt to show a bit of affection, Tex!" The Sankta laughed as she peeked out, firing rapidly at a Sarkaz soldier. Her bullets pinged uselessly against his armor but sometimes, showing presence was all that was needed in a fight.
"Keep that scowl on ya face and you'll be old and wrinkly like Hellagur in no time flat." Croissant forced out a laugh, dodging a wild blade from a Reunion soldier and bonking his head in return.
"Not funny." Texas huffed, leaping over a Sarkaz and peppering him with energy blades. "But speaking of affection, Exusiai, you were saying something about Lappland and Doctor earlier?"
"Ehh? Was I?" The angel yelled, her voice drowned out by the screams and yelps of her enemies, and of her own gun. "Forget I said anything! Now's not the time!"
"No, humor me." Texas' voice took on a hard edge. She never had a realistic rivalry with her fellow Lupo, despite Lappland's attempts at forcing one. This however, awoken something in Texas. It was green and bitter and strangely invigorating. "Lappland's always meddling in my business anyway and these guys are starting to bore me."
"Wellllll..." Exusiai panted, hiding and reloading her guns. "I don't know how true these rumors are. Heck, I've not seen it myself, but rumor has it that Lappland's been sleeping in— Croissant, four o'clock!"
The Forte spun around quickly, deflecting a Sarkaz blade just in time before Texas cut him down, her sword dripping with blood and gore.
"Tex, will ya stop yer puppy lovin' around and keep me from dyin'?!" Croissant snapped, her face peppered with cuts and scratches. Being in the thick of the melee was starting to wear her down and despite her usual jovial, carefree attitude, she was slowly reaching her limit. "I swear... Can't Reunion take it easy with us? We're just four really beautiful women on a job!"
"Well, you're not wrong." Exusiai remarked, reaching into her back pouch. "I'm out..."
Sora's music wasn't as effective as it was in the first wave as well, with her voice getting hoarser with each tune. "I'm sorry... I can't sing anymore..." She wheezed, her voice soft and weak. "Doctor's late.. It's been ten minutes..."
"Oh, for fawks' sake...." Croissant grumbled, her shield badly dented from the repeated pounding of the enemies' weapons. "We gotta fall back! I'm not waitin' around to be sliced up into a Croissant steak!"
"Heads up ladies! We're here! Hoshi, you take point! Sesa, Greythroat, reinforce the perimeter and pick off any stragglers. Amiya, burn those in heavy armor. Destroy the package and prepare for exfil!" The comms cracked to life before a mighty green demon stepped up from behind Texas, swinging her triangular shield with such speed and ferocity, it was almost akin to a chainsaw.
"Doctor!" Sora exclaimed, nearly breaking down in tears as explosions ripped apart the pavement where the enemy stood, their thick armor shredding like paper in the face of Sesa's grenades.
"HEELLLL YEAH! FUCKING KILL THEM ALL!" Sesa screamed in glee, firing off explosive rounds with fervor.
"Perimeter clear. Package sighted. No signs of any stragglers except for the main force." Greythroat reported, unloading bolt after bolt with pinpoint accuracy with almost as much speed as Exusiai's guns.
"Doctor, I've destroyed the weapons cache! Reunion will no longer be able to use it. Let's get out of here!" Amiya noted, unleashing fireball after fireball, the stench of burning flesh permeating the air.
"Roger. All aboard the van. We're getting out of here!"
--
The clean, white walls of the infirmary was a massive contrast to the dim and grey of the city, Texas noted observantly. She had long peeled off her bloodied uniform and clad in a black tank top and yoga pants, is now sitting on one of the beds in the infirmary, waiting for the results of her infection test.
With the fight behind her, she turned her thoughts to Exusiai's words earlier, about how Lappland and the Doctor were sleeping together. Sure, Exusiai did not elaborate further, and Texas couldn't find the time to inquire more, but only a fool would not understand the implication behind Exusiai's statement. Sighing, the Lupo laid on the clean cool sheets, stretching her weary limbs.
Maybe the rumor was fake. It wouldn't be the first time someone disseminated fake information just to one-up someone else and if her colleagues' words were to be trusted, her affection for the Doctor was as clear as daylight to everyone but herself, and it would just be absolutely Lappland-esque to exploit this knowledge just to coax a reaction out of her, if nothing else. However, if it was true on the other hand... If Lappland and the Doctor really were a thing... Texas found herself unable to process the idea of Lappland and Doctor naked in the sheets, making out and cuddling and doing everything else.
The sound of the door opening brought her back to her senses. There he stood, unmasked, with a small, relieved smile on his face. He stepped towards her, medical files in one hand and a box of Pocky in another. "May I?"
She shifted to a sitting position, crossing her legs to make room for him at the foot of the bed, her expression as distant and emotionless as ever. "Go ahead."
"Here, a box of Pocky for a job well done. I wish I could've planned something more...thoughtful, but I figured you might not like it." He smiled sheepishly, handing the snack to her. "I have your files here with me...."
She might not like it? From where might he have gotten that information from? She might not like grand parties or loud celebrations, but taking her out for a glass of whiskey or bourbon was one of the most enjoyable things she could think of. Then, she remembered Exusiai's words yet again about how she's always refused any offer or invitation from him in an effort to stay professional. That damned Sankta and her insightful thoughts. Of course he'd take it the wrong way. The Doctor prioritized the comfort and wellbeing of the operators above all else and if she had given him the impression of a cold, distant front, then she's only got herself to blame.
"... and so, conclusive results have shown that there are no traces of infection residing in you. Um, Texas, are you listening?" Doctor asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Doctor, did you sleep with Lappland?" She asked directly, ears twitching with a nervous energy that betrayed her calm coolness.
"Sorry?" He asked, blinking.
"Did you sleep wi—"
"I heard you, Tex. I'm just processing what you said." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Texas, what is this about?"
"Word around the base is that Lappland has been seen leaving your room during mornings, before the sun is even up. Doctor, I have nothing against you having positive relationships with your operators, especially one as wild and unpredictable as her. I just wish you told me..." She mumbled, looking away.
"Well, I'd argue that the same goes for you, no?" He replied, folding his arms. "You never tell me anything. Even when you're hurt or sad or lonely, you never talk to me about these kinds of things, and while I appreciate the professionalism, you're not merely some tool or weapon, Tex."
"Penguin Logistics has a duty to remain professional in all circumstances. I stand by our code of conduct."
"And I appreciate that, but what about when you're off duty? You can't possibly represent the entire organisation twenty-four seven. You're not Penguin Logistics, Texas. You're you. You have your own identity, your own idea of what you want to achieve and your own idea of relaxing that's separate from the company. Similarly, I don't represent Rhodes Island all the time, and I don't expect everyone under contract with us to do so either."
Her ears twitched. It was something she could never control. One could always tell when Texas was nervous just by the twitching of her ears. It was a dead giveaway but at the same time, so honest, innocent and pure. Doctor loved the sight of it. The fact that he could make her nervous was a commendable achievement, in his own eyes. It was a symbol of trust.
Hesitantly, he reached up, petting the Lupo's ears, running his fingers through her hair while he was at it. It was the first time he's done it and he couldn't believe it. For someone so dangerous, Texas' hair was unbelievably soft and silky smooth. Sure, it probably had something to do with the A-grade shampoos and conditioners that Rhodes Island provided, but as far as the Doctor was concerned, he didn't really care. All that matters was that he enjoyed petting her.
"Doctor..?" Texas' voice was meek and soft. Her expression was one that he had never seen before. She looked shy and nervous, her face finally betraying how she felt.
Doctor let out a gentle smile, pulling his hand back. "To answer your question, Tex... No. I did not sleep with Lappy. She just comes to my room every once in a while just to linger around. Said she love my scent or something. She'd dress in my hoodies, lay in my bed and play on my PlayStation but that's pretty much about it. Kind of like a bratty younger sister. But there's nothing between me and her. Don't worry."
"Sounds fun." Texas frowned. The nerve of that white Lupo! Not only did she lay in his bed. She wore his clothes too? Her ears twitched violently, signally her displeasure at the thought of it.
"Ehh, well... Lappy's fun to be around with, but she can be a bit much sometimes. I appreciate the peace and quiet a lot more though. God knows how much we need a break from all the fighting. We can't seem to catch a break these days." He sighed, standing up. "Well, if nothing else, I'll leave you to your own devices. Make sure to keep your wounds clean and uninfected, okay? They're small cuts but still..."
"Wait..." The Lupo called out, tugging at his sleeve. Meekly, she approached around her dirty uniform, rummaging around its' pockets before pulling out a small pack of cigarettes. "Um, want one?"
Doctor had to laugh. Is this her way of opening up to him? By offering him a cigarette? She was so cute, he wanted to pet her again, but he restrained himself, keeping his hands in his pockets. "Tex, I thought you traded smoking for Pocky."
"I did. I just....felt like the Pocky wasn't doing enough..." Her face flared up and she stared at her feet, still holding out the cigarette. "These are from my favourite pack... I don't normally give them out, not even to Exusiai or Mostima..."
"Well, I can't refuse now, can I?" Doctor smirked, leaning in closer. "You know, it's an honor to be having my first cigarette with you. Kinda special, don't ya think?"
"You don't smoke?"
"I do now, if you're offering. Let's share one. Can't let your prized cigarettes be wasted on someone like me, right? Or do you want to share Pocky instead?"
Texas shook her head. The Doctor told her that she had her own idea of fun, and right now, her idea of fun was something more grown up, rather than the childish sweetness of the snack. She placed the cigarette between his lips, watching him puff his first smoke. The whole gesture felt so natural, yet so intimate that Texas had to blink a few times. She was not used to this kind of intimacy, not to mention the close proximity. She could see his expression as he savoured the flavors of his first smoke, blowing it out through his nose.
"Nicotine-free, huh?" He smirked, removing the stick between his lips.
"You said you didn't smoke."
"I don't, but this isn't the first time I've been offered one." Doctor smiled. Similarly, he placed the cigarette between her dainty lips, watching as she took a deep huff, appreciating the way she appreciated the smoke. Yet again, Texas felt the intimacy of the moment flare up. There was something so undeniably beautiful, feeling his gaze on her. It had her feeling raw and vulnerable, yet so unmistakeably powerful. Maybe it was the fact that she had control over his gaze, over where he looked. Or maybe it was his gaze that made her feel powerful.
The whole act lasted less than five minutes and the Doctor stepped back, looking at the clock. "I have a meeting with Kal'tsit in ten, but I'm free after that. Do you... perhaps want to catch dinner with me later?"
She froze. Here he was, extending an invitation again. She wanted to say no, to stay in her comfort zone of keeping a cool façade of professionalism. To keep up the image of a reliable employee of Penguin Logistics, ready for duty whenever, wherever. But part of her knew that if she said no, things will go back to the way they were before. They'd drift back into the warrior-tactician relationship that they both were so used to, and this precious moment of sharing a common pleasure will be nothing but a fleeting memory. "Yes. I'll come with, if its only the two of us."
"Perfect." Doctor grinned jubilantly, letting out a sigh of relief as he gathered his files. "I'll come pick you up at your room after six, okay? Dress casually. You're perfect as you are. And also, lay off the ciggys, yeah? There's a reason I brought you Pocky."
"You can't say that after sharing one with me. Who are you to tell me what to do?" She retorted, voice playful, and it surprised her. She never knew she could sound so...carefree. His next words however, short-circuited her brain and her heart.
"I'm a doctor, Texas. Your Doctor."