in the barracks Sector.
Isaa was diagnosed by a mental professional (basically a therapist), he scored high on the test and was prescribed pills that would help him live a fairly normal life. But he blatantly refused them as he threw the pills at the therapist shouting "I DON'T NEED SOMEONE TO TELL ME I'M NOT THINKING STRAIGHT! I KNOW THAT!" "Sir! Please calm down!" the male therapist told Isaa as he reached for a syringe on his desk, Isaa tried to run out the room but was knocked to the ground by Yousef 2.0 who stated "GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK! Now! now you and I get to talk about everything." Isaa got up slowly with his head still spinning and his vision blurry, but he made out the face of Yousef 2.0 as he helped him back up on his feet.
Isaa couldn't believe his eyes as his former unit Sargeant, who deliberately threw himself in harm's way to save both of Isaa's and Abduallah's lives stood right before him with his head held high. His body might have changed, but Isaa knew it was still him, under all that fake skin and metal, he knew it was his prideful Raqib.
They both found a table in the canteen with many other agents and soldiers.
Isaa looked at Yousef with grim eyes, his face had a natural expression as he asked his now rebuilt Raqib "you're some sort of cyborg? Or Android? Or maybe even a robot?". Yousef took a long chug of water from a water bottle he bought, before looking at Isaa and saying "×gulps the huge amount of water× that's some good H2O! Just what I need after being blown to bits!" he laughed loudly after that sentence; his laughing quickly turned to light chuckles. Seeing his subordinate's face made him reconsider his approach. He cleared his throat and stated "okay okay, I know this whole thing blows your small little mind-" "do you even care that you died? That you left me and Abdullah for those monsters?" Isaa interjected realistically; he had no clue what those monsters he saw were called or what they were before they turned, all he knew was that they wanted to eat him and Abdullah. In the end, they only got his friend.
Yousef did care and decided to talk seriously "Sin bearers, that is their biological name. ×Isaa shuts up and listens× People here call them sinners. They are the byproduct of a bio engineered entity named Eve. She was that lady we saw in the cult base, but her form had evolved and adapted to living in the desert. And as she grew, her powers did too. ×points at Isaa's chest× she could bend you to her will by looking inside your heart. ×moves his finger up to Isaa's head× then she would use your brain as a conduit ×moves his finger down to his chest again× directly to your soul, where she could find your deepest desires then twist them into something vile and primal" Isaa looked him dead in the eyes and said "you answered only one of my questions Sargeant, I still have no idea what you guys are or what you gain from helping us Arabian people-" "Can't a person protect his country without getting suspected of being paid to do it?" Yousef retorted as he reached into his pant pocket and pulled out a heart pendant.
Isaa caught a glimpse of the silver pendent and tried to take it back saying "GIVE IT BACK! THAT'S MY FRIEND'S!", but Yousef moved it just out of arm's reach before telling him "I don't think so, a lion held this. And I will only return it when I see him." "WHAT DOES THAT EVEN HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING YA RAQIB?! ×tries to take it back again× THIS IS AN AMANA! AN AMANA ENTRUSTED TO ME BY ABDUALLAH!" Yousef kept moving the pendant around with zero effort, till Isaa fell off the table and onto the floor wearing an angry face. He got up with veins poking out the side of his head, he was as angry as a bull in a ring with a clown wearing nothing but red. Yousef on the other hand was as cool as ice in front of a blazing sun. He put the pendant on and challenged Isaa "You want this back? Then come and take it, Cub" Isaa at this point let go of all the rules and regulations, his hands were clenched fists, his eyes were red with rage, as he came at Yousef with his fists of fury!
The young lieutenant got knocked back about 5 feet from one punch to the side of his abdomen, as he was rolling from the punch, he saw the pendant dangle from Yousef's neck. That made his heart burn hotter with rage and anger, "HOW FUCKING DARE THIS TIN MAN TAKE AWAY MY RESPONSIBILITY!?" Isaa thought as he stopped rolling and got up from laying on his back. He saw the other people in the canteen were watching him get his ass beat, so he asked Yousef "You wanted to show them how powerful you are? Is that it?" "Mostly, but I also wanted to teach helpless Cubs how lions ×crack his android neck as he had his arms in a fold× treat their mental issues. It's very effective" the crowds of soldiers and agents started looking at Isaa with pity, as if his mentality was a curse where in fact it was his drive, his drive to do his duty well for his country and his fallen comrade.
So, he stood up and yelled "YOU FUCKERS THINK BEING DEPRESSED IS BAD?! YOU THINK I NEED YOUR LOOKS OF PITY?! YOU CAN ALL SHOVE YOUR PITIFUL STARES RIGHT UP YOUR ASSES!" he starts talking to Yousef now with his hands up and ready for a proper fight "but you're right ×a smile grows on his face× it is effective!", Yousef smiled back at his subordinate as he ran up to him with a punch aimed at his face the prideful android yelled "WELL WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR CUB?! LET'S CONTINUE YOUR TREATMENT!".
Isaa blocked his punch with his own. The pain was slight, but it distracted him long enough for Yousef to follow up with a left hook that connected with Isaa's temple knocking his head along with his upper body to the side, shifting his weight and causing him to start falling. But then he remembered a soft-spoken voice telling him "We're the sons of arabia! we never fall! Right Isaa?". That voice, he knew who it belonged to.
Yousef remarked as he witnessed Isaa's fall "is that the best you got cub? ×sighs in disappointment× should have used 0.1 percent of my strength-" Yousef stopped mid-sentence as Isaa seemed to look determined to beat him, he used the Tachypsychia effect to his advantage and kicked Yousef's face with his off balanced foot as he fell. His foot managed to slightly damage Yousef's face, but of course, that isn't enough to bring the prideful android down.
"You got a good brain on your shoulder lieutenant ×grabs him by the foot and lifts him up with zero effort× but you need more than that to-" Oh? You thought Isaa was done for? Nay! He had a promise to keep, and a job to do. He used his other leg to hold onto Yousef's neck, before pulling himself to his face, he then took the silver pendant off just as the android began bending backwards. Yousef deliberately did that to allow Isaa to get off his neck and onto the floor.
Then he fixed his bent spine before the exhausted lieutenant and stood with his head held as high as ever. "There he is! just the lion I saw back in that base! Before I was blown to bits of course!" Yousef joked humorously in front of the crowd of agents and soldiers who didn't find that last part about him being blown to pieces funny, but Isaa laughed in front the android as a show of acceptance, he no longer feels burdened with guilt or remorse towards him. Yousef laughed alongside him before he wrapped an arm around his lieutenant saying, "You will be my Rook from now on, my most trusted soldier" Isaa looked him with his eyes full of bewilderment, then he asked almost excitedly "does that mean, that I get a bump in my salary??" the average Saudi soldier gets about 60,000 a year I believe . Now that may seem like a lot but trust me, in this economy? It's practically nothing. The android man laughed at his request right before slapping Isaa's back saying "No! What do you think this is? America? Your Salary is still the same" that statement made Isaa lose hope that he will ever escape being constantly at the brink of being poor. but at least he won't have to worry about depression.