Chapter 22:
[Tommy woke up with significantly blurred vision, ringing in his ears that can't seem to go away, and of course, a splitting headache fit for his split up head. His pilot helmet helped absorbed some of the damage when he bursted through the canopy, but damn, blood is gushing out from his skull, leaking on his face, into his neck, and soaking his uniform. He eventually woke up, on a roof of a store of some kind. He uses the emergency first aid kit on many of the pockets in his pants to ease the pain, even bandaging himself...poorly due to inexperience. Well, he can't stop the bleeding, but he is conscious, and in lots of pain.]
Tommy: Ffffuck!... Where am I?...
[Tommy kneels up, and looks around, trying to adjust his blurred vision, and attempt to scan his environment. Everything is on fire, windows are all smashed in, doors are broken open, and the continuous screams continued the deafening sound in his ears. He managed to stand up, mustering all of his strength, sometimes dropping to the ground because of wasting his stamina on it all. As his vision regains, slightly, with his own blood blocking his eyes a bit, there was a plume of smoke not far from where he was. It was his jet plane, engulfed in flames as it struck a building, where it collapses. Debris and rubble filled the street, shrapnel and flames joining the dirt and junk splintered all over the ground. As he stood up, wiping the blood off his face, and throwing his pilot helmet away; which was flooded with his own blood, he discovered there was a corpse buried underneath all of that rubble. He looks for a way out of the roof, and discovers the emergency ladder...he almost fell off after he discovered the emergency ladder. He hastily climbs down the ladder, almost cutting himself if it weren't for his protective gloves that comes with the suit. He then rushes to the injured man, inevitably tripping along the way due to the debris, and possible brain damage. Running past the burning wreckage of a failed German prototype, that's prolly shouldn't even be used due to its history, he stops by the corpse of the man...turns out, he was still breathing...abnormally. He drags him out the rubble, and discovers a familiar clothing... It was the fucking Doctor from Rhodes Island. Many thoughts came through Tommy's mind, one of which is focusing to drag him to safety, but most of whom are about why is the doctor here? Will this affect diplomatic relations? Will he make it? After dragging him inside a convenience store, recently robbed and its employees killed maliciously, from the unconscious physician's watch, it started to glow red, and blinking in an SOS esque signal. The dirtied and exposed radio from his somehow-still-intact satchel bag started crackling.]
Dispatch: Doktah! Doktah! Talk to me! Hello?! Hello?! Please! Say something!
[There was sheer desperation and fear in the voice of the dispatch. Tommy knows that if he talks, or even breathe into the radio, the dispatch will mistake him as an enemy, and possibly target him as one. He braves through the sobs and desperate callouts of the dispatch's begs for the insentient medical practitioner to at least say something. After a few more seconds of hearing her calls, Tommy, unable to take it, crushed the radio from the benumbed clinician's satchel sash. After that guilt moment, Tommy tries to, at least fix what he caused, by mending the befuddled MD's wounds. Mostly burrowed shrapnel, sharp concrete, and burn wounds are all over his body when he ripped open his lab coat. He uses all of his stimpacks on the knocked out medical man, thinking he needs this more than him, and he is right. Due to the regenerative abilities of the stimpacks, his wounds heal miraculously, but this is not enough to wake him up. He fortifies both himself and the fast asleep medicae inside the convenience store, only using his pistol that is meant to off himself whenever he's stuck... Few hours of waiting later, he is considering offing both himself and the sleeping sawbones, but that thought changed when he saw a plane flying by. Tommy walks out the store as the insensate physical therapist slumps over the counter. He waves his hands over the hovering plane to call it over. The plane then landed on the street next to him, and it was Jesse and Tanner who got out. Tommy extends his arms for a hug, that until Tanner slaps his face...and hugged him afterwards, tightly.]
Tanner: I told you you shouldn't fly that thing! Why don't you ever listen to me for once in your goddamn life!?
Tommy: Woah, Tanner, I-
Tanner: Enough!... Just... Enough... *Sniffles* Don't scare me like that ever again...
Jesse: You're fucking made of stone when you made that crash out. Get on the plane, I'll catch up with the two of you later.
Tommy: Wait.
Tanner: Don't waste time, Tommy. Come on, let's-
*Tommy pushes Tanner away from him, hard but with no force, and heads back inside the convenience store. He comes out carrying a comatose quack.*
Tommy: I caused this guy's life. It's best if you take him than me.
Jesse: Hold the fucking phone, is that the FUCKING DOCTOR?! You knocked out the DOCTOR!
Tanner: The Doctor!?... Who's the Doctor?
Jesse: *Slaps his face in disappointment and fury.* Oh my god, Tommy! Rhodes Island is gonna be mega pissed at us! And mega is a fucking understatement! His girlfriend is gonna kill us!
Tommy: I think she's his assistant.
Jesse: What-the fuck-ever! Look, put him inside the plane, before-
*Suddenly the plane exploded by the usage of dark Originium arts. From atop the building, there stands Amiya, with blank eyes filled with malicious intent, and an emotionless and cold expression, staring down at them. The atmosphere was horrific, and the group's perspective was that they're staring at death itself, coming to claim their souls for what they've done. From Amiya's perspective, she's staring at a pack of killers who maimed the man she really cared about. She broke the silence when she shouted-*
Amiya: Let go of Doktah!
*She then waved her right arm in a circular motion, which produced a weird black circle, and before you know it, she launched what seems to be a black fireball, that exploded almost between them. Tommy and Tanner freaked out and run, as Jesse returned fire. He managed to shot one of her ears off before retreating. She drops to the ground, clutching her bleeding ear as Jesse retreats with the two brothers, Tommy still carrying the doctor. A medic came to Amiya's side, but she quickly dismisses her. She then ripped off the dangling lobe of her (donkey) rabbit ear, and pointed at the retreating men.*
Amiya: Follow those killers!
[Welp, there goes their diplomatic relations. The three run over the debris and rubble of the collapsed building as the Rhode Islands operators went ham and chased after them to save their leader. Amiya, being some kind of magic caster, was able to run and shoot at the same time while maintaining careful aim. She can literally kill Tommy or Tanner, unsure about Jesse, but if she tries, Tommy will either drop and kill the Doctor by crushing him, or Tommy will kill the Doctor regardless out of rage. Or maybe Jesse would do that for them. Running a few blocks, avoiding the destroyed street junk, Jesse stayed behind.]
Tanner: Jesse?
Jesse: Hey! You junkies! Suck on my infected nuts! *Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!* Get out of here, boys!
Tommy: JESSE!
[Jesse, after killing a handful of operators and soldiers...except for Amiya, he managed to intercept a good chunk of them as he split up with the two brothers, ultimately sacrificing himself for them. Tommy and Tanner continues to run as Amiya, and a few loyal angered operators chase after them. Suddenly, as they near a street square, four men wearing white coats, with masks, wearing the reunion symbol on their left shoulders showed up, armed with bats and makeshift armour. Their reunion signs got them recognised as allies, and the four looked to where they once ran, and saw a bunch of angry girls, with their races varied. The one wearing black, possibly the leader, rallied his men to aid their comrade. They then charged through the street from where they once came in, and held them off...poorly. Well, at least they bought the two valuable time. Tanner then thought of an idea, while they were running.]
Tanner: Listen!... If we... Get the... Main reunion... To help us!... It will... Increase our... Chance of survival!
Tommy: Tanner, what...are you thinking?
Tanner: Look! I'm... Gonna go... Find them! Get... Him out of... Here!
[As they pass through another block, Tanner deters and runs a different direction, possibly to find the main reunion to help them out. Tommy looks behind him, and sees one lone operator who managed to get through the wall of white bodies...it was Amiya herself. Her eyes on fire with rage, basically foaming from the mouth as she runs as fast as she can towards Tommy... Tommy took the sensible option, and fucking runs. Still holding on to the dazed up healer, while avoiding shots from Amiya's dark arts, Tommy discovered he was being flanked in all sides except for the one on his left by Rhodes Island guards. A mob ended up chasing him through several blocks, but due to adrenaline, and White eye energy, he was unable to get tired in times of distress. Back to Jesse, still getting chased by a bunch of Rhodes Island guards, he eventually stumbled upon a company of Chernobog law enforcement wearing riot gear, and using guns sold by Gustav presumably. Perhaps they're there to reinforce an overrun checkpoint, unfortunately, perhaps the reinforcing would be later, since because of Jesse's skin, and uniform was he suspected of being a reunion member, or maybe a ringleader. Jesse runs back the way he came as the riot squad dispatched the chasing Rhodes Island guards for him.]
Jesse: Nice shot, four eyes!
[Jesse taunted. The reinforcement then chased after Jesse next, and since he wasted all of his ammunition on the RI guards, well, he just has to run now. Jesse cackles while he's at it, it seems he's enjoying this. Tanner, however, well, after he discovered the main reunion force, which was, like, very far from where they were originally, they mistook him for a scientist.]
Tanner: Fellas! I need some assistance-
Crownslayer: *A hooded and masked redhead reunion ringleader shoots the ground near Tanner.* Hold it right there, doctor! You should've worn your mask today!
Tanner: What!? I'm one of you! Listen-!
Mephisto: *A white haired crazy looking individual wearing what's resembling Sophia's lab coat, raised his arm, and said-* This is for Hosea! Get him!
[Tanner, deep into misunderstanding, then tucked tail and ran as the main reunion force took a chunk out of their army to chase after him, mistaking him for the doctor. Then again, the reunion armband on Tanner's shoulder was dirtied up, and faded due to the atmosphere, and he does look like a nerd. Oh well, the three Neil Mechanics operators were all getting chased by three armies: Tommy with angered Rhodes Island staff, Jesse with Chernobog Guards, and Tanner with the reunion. What a shitshow this had turned out. Eventually, after many jukes, u-turns, desperate unwanted and reluctant self-defence kills; except for Jesse, and running for some time, the three coincidentally all met up at a dead end, of a T intersection, all surrounded in all sides.]
Tanner: Why're you still carrying him!?
Tommy: Do you want to me kill him!?
Amiya: No! Let him go now!
*From Tommy's side of the streets, Amiya caught up with them, aiming her glowing hand towards them, and missing a chunk out of one of her ear. Tanner decides to aim his emergency rifle at her...and the reunion members who chased him. Speaking of which, they all halted to a stop as soon as they got the two cornered. Jesse then did a dive roll, and aimed both of his now reloaded revolvers at the well-armed guards who caught up.*
Mephisto: Is that Jesse?
Jesse: Hey, kiddo!... Still a lunatic now, are we?
Tanner: You fucking know them, Jesse?
Jesse: Boy, I've been all around the world, few certain areas, I ain't able to get through... It excludes your mom.
Crownslayer: Oh!
Chernobog riot control captain: Stop right there, infected scum! You violated the law! Pay the court a fine or serve your sentence!
Jesse: Does lead count, partner?
*The rest of the Rhodes Island force, well, what's left of em', showed up.*
Kal'tsit: Now, I do recall the Doc having a name for something like this.
Jesse: It's an impasse, Cow tits. *Winks*
Tanner: Is this how we die, Tommy?
Tommy: Maybe...