Arknights: Dr.(Y/N)'s Riposte

29. The Other Side

The Reunion. A movement filled with people of the infected who suffers from a deadly disease known as oripathy. On top of that, they also suffer rejection from the public mass and treat them as a walking virus among the pedestrians on the streets. Regardless of the infected were children or elderly, as long as they contracted the disease, the majority of the mass would likely outcast them. 

Many fear the Reunion due to how the media news portrays them. Clips of the horrific clashes between the reunion soldiers and the forces defending against them were shown to the public, with the sole purpose of instiling fear. 

While the background stories of these Reunion soldiers are not known to many. The public choose to become ignorant of the reasons why the infected arm themselves and march under the iconic flag of the movement. The oppressed had enough of the torments they had to endure throughout their daily lives. 

Most only acknowledge the fact that the Reunion's ways were 'wrong' and in need of 'guidance'. While only a few know a small fact of the infected that the majority had ignored. Which is the fact that the Reunion soldiers are humans, (not pure humans though). Such similarities, with a small difference between the infected and non-infected. Yet, it caused large conflicts instead of a combined effort to eradicate the disease. 

(Y/N) had witnessed the other side of the Reunion, those behind the masks, cloaks and armour. The hands which held deadly weapons more than once, offer warmth. The voices that once growl vengeance are syncing merrily with one another. A group of reunion soldiers helping one another. 

He remembers his father said 'Not everyone is a hero, nor that everyone is evil'. Now, he understood it deeper. It is something similar to a sentence, 'No matter how much you want to be a hero, there will always be that one person sees you as a villain'. 

[Doctor (Y/N)?] - ???

Upon hearing his name, he turns his haze to an old man in a reunion soldier attire. (Y/N) pretty sure that he had not met anyone like him. Maybe he was famous than he thought. 

[I'm sorry if this seems rude but, who are you? I think we have never met before] - (Y/N)

[It's okay. We have just met once before this, and it wouldn't be a surprise for a busy doctor like you to easily forget old little me] - ??? 

The old man's sentence seems to trigger a small flashback in (Y/N)'s head, but the memory is too vague for him to recall. Other than that, the courtesy shown by the old man stunned him. Including the fact that the old man bowed to him out of the sudden. (Y/N) do not know what he did to gain some form of respect. 

[I think a handshake it's enough] - (Y/N)

A wry smile crossed his face as he extends his hand towards the old man. 

But the old man shook his head and kept his hands in his pocket as a smile plastered on his face as well. 

[I don't like handshakes. A formal bow seems more suitable to be given to you because of your deed to me in the past] - ???

[I think I remember you at my clinic - (Y/N)

The old man chuckles before reminiscing a few flashbacks and throws his head up. Puffing his chest a few times before facing back to (Y/N) normally.

[Specifically, you met me for the first time in a market while I was down on the ground suffering from a heart attack... my congested heart] - ???

As the old man talks, the lost memories in (Y/N) are regaining foundation. As bricks upon bricks stacks upon together as the flashbacks are becoming more vivid. 

[People only passed by me, and some even took a video of me on the verge of dying on the ground instead of helping me. Such a laughable ending could happen] - ???