Chapter 8: Those that follow the Doctor

The knights marched through the meadow, a sense of safety filled their rank. In the open like this, a surprise attack would be impossible. Not all shared this sentiment, however, the disfigured medic gazed around cautiously. He tried not to miss the slightest details but the man did not even know what to take notice of. Holding up a handkerchief to clean the liquid coming out of his nose, the medic hoped their companions would be vigilant.

The Warden was the most reliable looking in the group. But in truth, the old man was only a level above the medic. Jaren had tangled with the eldritch many times in the past but most of them were resolved by X.

Among those presented here, the youngest was the first to notice something was coming. Turning back, the Kid yelled out.

“Watch out, an attack!”

Everyone was rattled and confused. There was no sign of anyone approaching them. Even X only looked amused by the sudden warning. The shadow could not see anything but she still held her hand over the hilt just in case.

Then, her lips stretched into a wide grin. “I can smell you now!”

Drawing her weapon, she pointed the blade right at an innocent knight. The poor woman was confused, frightened to see a black edge in front. She backed off only to feel an itch on her neck. The knight suddenly realized that everyone was looking at her with a horrified expression. Suddenly she tumbled down and the woman could see a headless body standing. Then, everything turned dark.

Carina watched in horror as the knight’s head slightly shifted when she walked backward. It got more and more off and then finally parted with the torso. It took a while for the body to register the damage and blood started to spurt out of the stump.

“A range attack.” The Warden exclaimed and turned around. “From where!”

“No, her head was already chopped off for a while now.” X calmly explained. “The cut was so clean that she could live on for just a bit more.”

The young knights panicked, they were compromised and by something unknown. This was not the work of the lumbering abominations. No, it was something much more precise and sinister. Carina watched the knights, while she was also worried, their reaction puzzled the young scout. This particular group somehow managed to repel an attack, the Warden said him and X had no involvement in that. But seeing them freaking out like this, the young scout wondered what actually happened. Even their leader, Rockwell was hyperventilating.

But not all of them were like that. Among the crowd one stood out, but not due to his disfigurement. The medic remained calm and collected, analyzing the situation.

Somehow, right after the Kid managed to identify the threat, so did the shadow. Both seemingly lost the lead immediately after. And the victim, the attack on her must had happened not that long before as any sudden movement would immediately dislodge her head. Was the purpose of that was a show of power… or a bait.

The Warden arrived at the same conclusion. “Be careful, that was a trap. It was a delayed kill so the killer could relocate before we could tell they were even here.”

The shadow looked around but her nose could not pick up anything. Something within her was certain that the kill was discovered earlier than expected. That would explain why nothing had happened yet. But that would mean something bad was going down soon.

Carina noticed the Kid had been quite, lowering the brim of her hat. Underneath the shadow, she was focusing, her hand on the grip.

Looking up all of the sudden, the girl drew and fired. The bullet whizzed through the knights, aimed right at the medic. Seeing the shot, the man jumped down just as something sliced at him, only catching his bag. The killer immediately dashed to dodge the bullet, which bounced of a frighten knight’s armor. Escaping, they cut down everyone in their way.

How could someone snuck in so deep without being detected was worrying. But all that matter now was that they were found out.

“I got you now!” X yelled out in glee.

Rushing forward, pushing everyone out of the way, she pounced on the killer. Sparks flew as steel clashed. With two blades attaching to each arm, the killer blocked the hit only to be pushed back. Holding the weapon with one hand, X sliced down, breaking the opponent guard. It cut the killer’s forehead but disappointingly, no blood was spilled.

“It’s… a person.” Carina exclaimed as how mundane the killer looked.

A young woman who was simply… unremarkable, but her bloodless cut was most supernatural. But even with such bland features, she was still recognized.

The Warden told Rockwell to order his troops to retreat, the knight complied without any rejection. He then stepped up, drawing a baton and a short stick out from his coat. “Doll.”

“So you still remember me.” The killer replied, still eyeing X.

“I never forget the face of a prisoner.” Jaren twirled his baton around then gripped it tight. He continued with a death glare. “Especially an escapee.”

“Wait you are a warden.” The Kid suddenly chimed in. “I thought it was your name!”

“No, I am only Jaren.” The Warden replied, lowering himself into a stance.

The shadow was not in the mood any more talking, however. She immediately jumped in and slashed her sword around like a maniac. Every swing was crude but packed a great deal of power. “Sorry Jaren, but she is mine!” Doll blocked every attack with her arm blade. The assault was relentless but undisciplined. The killer waited and her patient was rewarded. After a particularly erroneous swing X was wide opened.

From Doll’s wrist something shot out, straight at the shadow throat.

“Be careful.” Carina tried to warn but before she could even open her mouth, it was too late.

“Oh my.” X looked up in amazement with something caught by her spare hand in-between the fingers. A blade so thin one could barely see it. “So this is what cut that poor girl’s head off. Quite brittle.” With a slight push, the blade immediately crumbled.

Needless to say, Doll was taken aback by such inhuman reaction. The killer noticed that only the young scout was worried. The Kid did not stir, from her own fight she knew that X was not such a reckless fighter. The maniacal façade hid a mind sharper than most.

“Now that the cat is out of the bag.” X paced around the killer. “I will made you bleed.”

Jaren chimed in. “She can’t bleed, I already tried.” It was a casual comment but in that moment, the Kid and Carina could briefly what kind of Warden he was. Maybe this duo was more fitting than at first sight.

“If there is a will, there is a way!” The shadow was not deterred.

“You can try, acolyte. I have slaughtered your kind by the dozens, I was made for that purpose.” Doll did not backed down either. Her hands forming a fist, she raised three fingers as a signal.

At that precise moment, from thin air red smokes started to form among the knights. “They are coming. Move into formation.” The first to respond was the medic who called his comrade to action. They immediately distanced from one another with great disciplined fueled by a desire to live. Those who did not react in time got shredded as the abominations materialized.

“Stick to the plan, we already defeated them once before.” The medic, normally so calm and collected, now filled with a fierce determination.

The young scout could now see how this group survived. By spreading out, they could use one another as bait. When the abomination phased onto someone, that person could focus on dodging while the rest closed in for the kill.

This time, the Mutants came prepared, however. The bait seemingly worked as one of them was isolated, but as the knights around closed in, another appeared in front of them. The abominations could also use bait themselves. The Mutant grinned and swiped at the closest knight with a stone axe so dull it more resembled a club, but its weight could still crush a person in armor.

They were not the only to adapt, however. From behind the line, a person rushed forward. Without the metal armor weighting him down, the medic leapt upon a fellow knight’s shoulder and drove a spear into the abomination’s neck. He was ready for their plan.

With its bulging muscles, the spearhead could not deal the fatal blow. Nevertheless, it saved the trapped knight from certain death.

“You, move there, be prepared for a counterattack!” In the midst of frantic battle, the medic gave out precise orders. With that, the knights managed to maneuver around the abominations onslaught and retaliated with their spears. None of their attack was lethal but they could chip the Mutants down slowly.

The Kid shot her revolver but all the abominations suddenly phased away. They could not react individually to her shot so all of them simply dodged according to the sound. The girl fanned the hammer but all of her bullets got avoided by short distance teleports.

“Push them.” Seeing this as a great opportunity of attack, the medic ordered the knights to attack. The Mutants were prepared for this scenario, they simply phased away from the group all the while in accordance to the shots.

Two of the bullets managed to hit but none in a vulnerable area. With their sheer mass, the abominations could shrug them off easily.

“How…” The Kid was stumped, she did not know what to do in this situation.

The girl had gone on this mission because of her skill with a gun. It was so effective, she killed three of them in an instant. But now, the ‘vulnerable' knights were routing the enemies on their own. Her revolver was so easily countered. From the fight with X to this. That realization sent a chill down the girl’s spine.

All of the girl bravado relied upon the iron on her hip. Without it, she was not the Kid but simple Claudia Reid. And now she was in war zone. If any of the abomination decided to come here she was dead. Fear overwhelmed the girl and she was frozen in place.

“Watch out!” Claudia was violently awakened as she was tackled by Carina, falling onto her back. The young scout was lying on her, unmoving. She opened her eyes weakly and murmured. “You are still safe, guess this is all I can do.”

The girl grabbed Carina’s back to found it drenched in a liquid. Holding up her hand, Claudia could see blood red.

Next to her, a Mutant unlike all the other, thin and short. He donned a steel mask and a thick leather apron. The Warden found himself being pushed back by the young abomination. “What is this strength!” Letting out an inhuman shriek, the Mutant punched, his fingers lined with metal. Even though he blocked it with the baton, Jaren was still sent flying, two of his ribs broken. The Warden regained his footing, clutching his chest. His expression turned into one most grim, but he was not looking at the young Mutant.

“So you are the one behind this.”

Claudia could feel an itch as another figure approached, a man whose face covered by a white cloth. From just one look, her instinct screamed out, this was not an ally.

The girl hugged Carina, her hand shaking in fear. She could tell, the young scout was still bleeding from her gaping cut wound.