15 Desdia, 496 AS. Present.
The air was cold and the sky was dark. He gritted his teeth. But he has to continue. He couldn't let him die here. Pablo's body was covered in blood; as the blood turned colder, it only amplified Pablo's pain.
He heard a loud explosion. Pablo's ears started ringing as debris flew past him. The United Government wasn't holding back anymore. They wanted him.
Carrying the fatally wounded body on his back, he was near the exit route.
"Grit those teeth! We're close!" he said. Pablo was getting weaker, his breathing slowed down. But he kept going. He would crawl forward against all odds, because he truly felt guilty.
"I can't let you die in my hands, damn it!"
Pablo believed he was responsible for everything that happened. Ketsui's capturement, Infamy's death and…
Well, he didn't want to think about that just yet.
But he would soon realise, his name was chosen for him; without his knowledge and consent.
ACCEPT IT ALREADY.
Saintlike Behaviour: Rebirth of Pablo
Chapter 1, "Genesis"
2 Ruari, 497 AS, 12 Months Ago.
"...damn it." A groan of pure fatigue came from Pablo. He checked under the couch, above the couch, and even between the couch. Not even a single coin.
Pablo noticed the cold wind hitting his neck. He got up and closed his windows. As he turned around, the breeze followed. He realized the window was broken, and he hadn't even seen it.
He quickly barricaded the window with whatever he could find. The brain fog was getting to him. He couldn't think straight.
Pablo checked around the house for any amount of money he had missed.
"This guy is very poor…" he muttered.
Pablo was afflicted with a disease that nobody in the world understood. He wanted to learn more about it and find a cure.
While checking the drawers, he only found a few papers that had nothing to do with him. He got upset. He did all this to enter this house, and this is what happens?
He didn't want to miss anything; he kept looking for more. He was desperate.
He didn't want to succumb to his disease.
He didn't know why he wanted to keep going. But he did.
"I guess I'll just leave. 'United Government Doctor,' what a joke. I'll need to find a place where I can get more information about… whatever this is."
He was going to jump out the window, but the height (1.5 meters) scared him. So he went out of the main door, before a gunshot barely missed his neck.
Pablo instinctively ducked. Consumed by anxiety, he looked for cover. He quickly hid as the owner of the house was awake.
"Wrong place, wrong time, buddy," the doctor said as he kept shooting at where Pablo was hiding.
Pablo started shaking. He quickly tried to calm down, but he started coughing, which gave away his place.
"Oh, I've got you now." The man started walking toward the sound. His guard was up, his finger on the trigger.
Pablo was terrified. He quickly tried to make a plan. Even though he didn't look like it, Pablo was very smart.
He checked his surroundings. A box of scraps, a vent, a photo, and another window caught his eye.
First of all, he was too unathletic to crawl in the vents, and even more scared to attempt it.
He tried to reach for the window, but this time the drop was even higher (3 meters).
He curiously took a look at the photo. It seemed to be a photo of a family. A kid and his mother. The moment he saw this, he took his eyes off the photo.
But the memories flashed.
"Mom… it hurts!" Pablo cried out in pain, holding onto his knee. It was bleeding.
Pablo's mother sighed. She looked around to see if anyone was there.
"Let me take a look." She squatted down to his level and checked his knee.
"It looks bad. But sorry, darling, you'll have to grit your teeth." She kissed him on his cheek and stood back up.
"Come on. You gotta walk. Even if it hurts." She said and kept walking, not waiting for Pablo.
Remembering this moment, Pablo was distracted. But after he heard footsteps, his mind turned back to the present.
When all hope seemed to be lost, the ring on Pablo's finger started glowing.
"That's right… I can just-"
Another gunshot. His time was running out. Luckily, the doctor wasn't good at aiming.
Pablo had an idea, and he quickly started to…
Eat the scraps.
This hurt his throat, but his Treasure activated. He closed his mouth and held on as long as he could.
His chest started hurting, running out of air. The urge to cough was too strong.
"I've got you now-" the Doctor yelled as he entered the room.
But he was quickly interrupted by metal scraps flying out of Pablo's mouth in rapid fashion.
He was sent back as the projectiles did not pierce his body. But still injured him.
"Fuck!" the Doctor screamed in pain.
"Frick…" Pablo gasped for air.
Pablo quickly got up and made a run for it. He ran over the Doctor.
"Not so quick..!" the Doctor pulled the trigger in desperation.
A bullet pierced Pablo's lower back, and he fell to the floor. Due to the adrenaline, he didn't feel it that much and was more focused on getting the hell out of there.
"Didn't you hear? I said… not so quick." The Doctor slowly got up and groaned. He pointed his gun at Pablo.
He couldn't believe it. He was about to die because he was too afraid to jump out of a window.
Well, he would have died if he jumped either, given his condition.
Either way, why did he want to make it out so badly?
Pablo didn't want to think about that as he was about to die.
He thought of…
He couldn't. He didn't find anything that felt 'correct' to think about while dying.
But as he was overthinking, a thought came to mind.
As the Doctor's finger began to pull the trigger, Pablo yelled in desperation:
"Wait!"
The Doctor paused and then groaned.
"What?"
"You're… you're a doctor, aren't you? I am sick, no, I'm dying. Forget the bullet. I'm dying of a disease. You've got to help me, right? You made an oath[1] that you'll help anyone who needs help, no matter what. Am I wrong?"
Pablo was desperate. Too desperate. He really wanted to live.
The Doctor froze and thought.
"...really? You're pulling that card?"
"...yeah. Maybe I want to live." Pablo made eye contact with the Doctor.
The room was quiet, too quiet. Pablo couldn't get up. Even if he could, he was at gunpoint.
"You broke into my house, tried to steal my things, and now expect me to spare you?" The Doctor waved the gun to express his disbelief.
Pablo didn't respond at first.
Then:
"Yeah. I do."
"I'm dying, mister," he added.
The tone in his voice told the man that this wasn't a thief bluffing. It was a young man who didn't want to die.
The Doctor took a close look at Pablo, noticing his purple eyes. He took a step back. He sighed. The sigh sounded… sad.
"You steal anything?" he asked.
Pablo tried to remember.
"No, you didn't have anything I could've stolen."
"...why did you have to remind me of my oath, kid?" The Doctor was in a bad spot. Either he finished him and left behind his identity, or he spared him and risked everything.
"Sorry, but… I can't help what you have. Those purple eyes," he looked at Pablo.
"You're a dead man walking."
Pablo's eyes widened at that response. It's the same thing the previous ones said to him.
"It's kill or be killed." the Doctor exclaimed coldly.
As he noticed the doctor was going to pull the trigger, he reacted instantly and bit his right leg.
"What the hell are you-" The Doctor couldn't understand what Pablo was trying to do, but before he could do anything,
CHOMP!
Pablo's bite was strong enough to destroy the leg. Blood flew everywhere.
"NOOO, AAAGGHHH!!" The Doctor screamed in agony. He rapidly fired his gun.
The bullets hit the roof and completely missed Pablo. He couldn't even open his eyes as his body went into shock.
"I should've killed you when i had the fucking chance!" The Doctor kept shooting but missing.
Pablo then activated his treasure, and shot the bones he just ate. The bones pierced the man's chest, killing him.
The air went cold as adrenaline started to slowly run out. Pablo dropped on his back, panting.
The taste of what he just ate was still on his tongue. He coughed blood, the color was purple. He then vomited.
"...I'm so sorry…" Pablo slowly got up. Somehow, the bullet wound was gone. He reluctantly looked at the man's corpse.
He felt like he had a lump in his throat. He gulps and takes one good look at the man.
"But you were right…"
He inspects the corpse for anything. The Doctor does look like the type to just hoard his valuables on him.
Eventually, he finds a few coins and pockets them. Enough for today.
"It's kill or be killed." He said under his breath, accepting the new reality.
He turns around and heads for the exit.
"Now, where the hell is Tsuyoi?"
[1] The Hippocratic Oath.