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Combat training had long since become child's play to Ajax.
The rythmatic motions of unsheathing a sword and slicing it through the air, or the familiar action that came with thrusting his spear forward were both second nature to him. They'd been etched into his very being, carved into his skin and buried in his bones the moment his Master had taken him in when he was in the abyss, and he couldn't picture a future where those skills ever left him.
It was simple, it was easy. It was something Ajax knew he could do well. It was one of the only pieces of control he had over his life.
People rarely trained with him anymore. They used to, back in the day, before people really knew who he was or had heard his less than savoury reputation. Agents would happily be put against him in combat training, only to be disarmed and thrown to the floor in less than five seconds. Now, most people avoided him, although whether that was out of fear or just to protect their fragile ego not even Ajax knew.
These days he just trained by himself. He'd go down to one of the courtyards as early as four in the morning and would put himself against a few of the Fatui's robots until the sun came up. Most of the time the robots won, but that was only because Ajax had them set to their hardest difficulty and held himself back so he didn't destroy them. He wasn't in it to win anyways. The rush of adrenaline that came to him when he was in a fight was one of the few feelings Ajax was still guaranteed to have. He was no longer as numb as he was three years ago, but emotions were still pretty foreign to him.
Now it was just a habit.
The Robot this morning was particularly harsh. It was a new model, one that The Marionette had only just created and made available to the agents, so Ajax wasn't as familiar with its set of attacks and defences. That was more fun, though. It meant that he actually had a challenge. Drawing a sword without immediately knowing which stance would be most effective sent a thrill shooting up his spine, travelling from the soles of his feet and straight into his chest.
He'd been at it for about half an hour at this point. Drawing his sword, parrying against the robot, trying to adapt to it's endless set of attack combinations while keeping himself at enough of a distance he could dodge if necessary. He was so in the zone that he didn't even realise someone was watching, until he heard a slow, but somehow not patronising, clap.
"Well," a voice began, a slight chuckle lacing the words. "Call me impressed."
The voice was almost theatrical in nature, every word said laced with bravado, drawing attention to each syllable. That wasn't to say it was unbearable, in fact it was actually very nice to listen to. Deep and smooth while still keeping that dramatic quality. The person speaking clearly knew they had authority, and were more than willing to throw it around.
Ajax turned around to hear where it had come from, and wasn't suprised to see the Doctor standing there, leaning casually agaisnt the courtyards larger wall.
Despite it being so early in the morning, the second Harbinger looked completely put together. His long, pearly white coat was perfectly pristine, not even a wrinkle in sight, and the fur cloak was angled in such a way that it swayed dramatically in the wind. His eyes were nowhere to be seen, covered by a dramatic, pointed mask that revealed only about half of his smooth and handsome face, and his light blue hair didn't have even so much as a single baby hair sticking up where it wasn't supposed to.
It was almost like he wasn't even a human, just a statue or puppet created to appear like one. So close to achieving true humanity, but always just slightly off in some way.
Then again, with what Ajax had heard about the man before him, that may have been the look he was trying to achieve. A scientist obsessed with the idea of immortality probably tried to avoid looking human, just so he could push that image of him being some higher being. Perhaps his unsettling appearance was an intentional choice.
Ajax nodded respectfully. "Lord Dottore."
Dottore grinned, revealing his sharp and pointy teeth. Like he was a wolf, or a shark, perhaps. Like he was a predator. "So you recognise me, Lord Tartaglia?"
Ajax didn't think he'd ever be used to that name. "Not Lord Tartaglia yet." He corrected.
Dottore merely shrugged. "Perhaps. But it's not like I know your real name, do I? Nor do I particularly care to. Furthermore, you need to accustom yourself to the new title, so it benefits you as well."
"Understood." Ajax nodded. "Feel free to call me Tartaglia then."
Dottore chuckled. "I wasn't asking for permission. I would have called you Tartaglia whether you agreed or not. Are you busy, Lord Tartaglia?"
Ajax looked over to the robot, that had now shut itself off due to the lack of interaction, before he turned back to Dottore. "No, I suppose not. How can I help?"
"I'm sure Pulcinella mentioned yesterday that you are to join me for a medical checkup, did he not?"
"He did." Ajax confirmed.
"Then I'm sure you can gather why I'm here." Dottore turned away and began walking, gesturing for Ajax to follow.
Ajax sped up a little, doing that not-quite run, not-quite walk movement a person makes when they're trying to catch up to someone, and slowed down when he was next to Dottore. He was suprised to note that he wasn't actually that much shorter than Dottore was, and that he could comfortably walk next to the man without having to tilt his head upwards just so he could make eye contact. Not that Ajax could make eye contact, he didn't even know where Dottore was looking because his eyes were entirely covered by his mask.
"I must say," Dottore began, voice laced with a quality Ajax wasn't sure he liked. It wasn't amusement, but it was definitely interest. "I rather enjoyed watching you sparring with that robot. Most agents tend to avoid them, too scared to get beaten by those pieces of scrap metal, but you practically throw yourself at them. Why is that?"
"It's not like I have anyone else to train with." Ajax shrugged. "Most agents tend to avoid me as well. If the Robots and I are both the rejects then we may as well entertain eachother."
"Of course." Dottore nodded, "The fourteen year old who came into the fatui and got called into the elites within a few days. Even though you are no longer fourteen, your bloody reputation must have stuck with you."
"Yes sir." Ajax agreed.
"Hm," Dottore chuckled. "Well, I'm thoroughly intrigued by you I must say. That Robot you were fighting back there was made by Sandrone with the purpose to entertain Capitano and I. I've not tried it yet, my schedule is far too full for that, but the other Harbingers who have tried struggled immensely. And yet you, far younger than any of us, fought it with ease."
"I wouldn't say ease is the correct word." Ajax argued. "I didn't win."
"But you didn't lose either." Dottore responded. "Scaramouche had his face pummeled into the floor within three minutes, and you managed to keep it off your back for over ten."
They were in Zapolyarny Palace at this point, walking down a dimly lit corridor Ajax had never been in before. The floor wasn't carpeted like the rest of the building, but was instead an ugly grey stone, as if nobody had been bothered to make it look nice. The walls were painted, at least, although they were covered in a simple black coat of paint, and the corridor was lit only by a handful of Lanterns dotted across the walls. The lack of carpet meant that Ajax could hear the sound of Dottore's heels hitting the floor, and it was an intimidating sound to say the least.
Loud and Dramatic, just like the rest of him.
"I suppose I just have practice." Ajax said, continuing with their conversation.
"Yes but why." Dottore said instantly, emphasising that last word. "All the other Harbingers have combat experience and they couldn't hope to defeat that robot, which means you have to have more. No normal child has that."
Luckily, before he could force the answer out of Ajax, they reached their destination. Before the pair was a large, metal door, clearly designed with the intent to keep both people in and people out, almost like the door to a prison. It was heavy and mechanical, and the only window inside was a small, barred hole, high enough that not even Capitano would be able to see inside.
"My lab." Dottore explained, pulling out a key and twisting it in the lock a few times. "Try not to be too loud. Pantalone is still asleep."
"Lord Regrator sleeps in...your lab?" Ajax asked, puzzled.
Dottore shrugged. "Every now and then. My bedroom is located just behind my lab, and hence my sleeping quarters. We normally sleep in his room upstairs, but I had a deadline due so we decided to sleep down here. Just because I wake up early doesn't mean that he does."
Ajax tilted his head. "Forgive my rudeness, but are you and Lord Pantalone a couple?"
"Oh, right." Dottore paused. "You would be unaware of that. Lord Pantalone and I are married, not that the information is public. I suggest you keep your mouth shut about that, understand?"
"Not like I have many people to tell..." Ajax mumbled.
Somehow Dottore still heard him. "Irregardless, as a Harbinger you should be aware of that. Columbina and Sandrone are also a couple, so there's that."
"Good to know." Ajax nodded.
"You're not homophobic, are you?" Dottore asked, voice cold and sharp. Threatening.
Ajax just shook his head.
The threat was gone from his voice immediately. "Good. Most of the Harbingers are queer, so it would be very bad if you were against that. Come on in."
The door opened automatically, triggered by the key, and revealed Dottore's lab. Maybe it was because Ajax had been expecting some strange, dark torture dungeon, but he was pleasantly suprised to find it was nicer than he expected. The floors were that same ugly stone, and the walls were still plain black, but the interior was furnished nicely. A row of bookshelves covered the back wall, decorated with rows upon rows of colourful books and the occasional random piece of decor (the skeleton hand was an interesting choice). There was a sofa in the corner, and a coffee table, and on the other side of the room was an examination table, with its own light and work station.
In the back of the room were two more doors, one a small, deep oak door, with a window covered by a curtain, and the other another prison-style door, sealed shut by multiple padlocks.
"My bedroom." Dottore explained, noticing where Ajax was looking. "That's where Pantlone is, so you can see why I asked you keep your voice down."
"And the other one?" Ajax asked.
"Oh, that one." Dottore grinned maliciously. "That's where my more...questionable experiments are kept, it leads downstairs. I'd suggest you don't go down there, if only for your own piece of mind."
"Duly noted." Ajax muttered.
"Anyways, I suppose we should get on with it." Dottore began, "No use wasting time. Please take a seat on the examination table."
Ajax nodded obediently, and walked over to the table in the corner, sitting down on the plastic-y leather that covered it. Dottore followed soon after, pausing only briefly to put on a pair of gloves, before he made his way over to the table.
"Should I lie down?" Ajax asked.
Dottore shook his head. "No need for that. This is a medical examination, not a dentists appointment. You can stay sitting upwards."
Ajax just nodded.
"First things first." Dottore started. "Anything that happens in this examination room stays between you, me, the report that I give to the Jester and the Tsaritsa and probably Pantalone when I gossip about it with him later, alright?"
Ajax nodded again.
"Great." Dottore said, "Now, is there anything obvious I should know about? Any physical issues, mental issues?"
"Uh..." Ajax paused.
He didn't want to talk about anything that had happened to him in the abyss. Technically his foul legacy transformation and all his cuts and scrapes held together by nothing but abyssal magic would have to count as something physical, but it wasn't like a simple medical examination would reveal any of those. Dottore probably meant if he was some other species or disabled, and Ajax was neither of those.
"Nothing physical." He said after a few moments, "I have ADHD, or at least I did last time I checked. I've not seen a doctor in a while."
"You can't really get rid of ADHD." Dottore told him, making a note on a piece of scrap paper, that looked strangely like a receipt. "It's like Autism, and I've tried to get rid of that."
"From yourself or..?" Ajax began, only to cut himself off when he realised he was technically asking for another Harbingers medical history.
"From myself." Dottore confirmed. "I'm painfully neurodivergant, so we're in the same boat there. Anything else?"
"Uh...does PTSD count?"
Dottore nodded. "PTSD absolutely counts."
"Then put that down as well." Ajax told him. "That's it."
Dottore made a note of that as well, before walking over to the examination table and lowering it somewhat.
He walked Ajax through the next steps of the examination, testing his reflexes, his hearing, his sight, the usual medical things that doctors liked to do. Ajax passed all of it with flying colours, as he'd expected. Even if it wasn't activated, his Foul Legacy was always somewhat awake, and worked to improve Ajax's senses even when he didn't want it to. Dottore nodded approvingly the entire way through.
"The next part," The Doctor said, scribbling some things down on his paper, "Will require you to take your shirt off. Is that alright?"
Ajax shrugged. "Are you alright with seeing scars?" He responded, answering a question with a question.
"I assure you I've seen worse." Dottore told him, putting his pen down.
Ajax nodded, silently willing the abyssal energy in his body to calm itself. He didn't have nearly as much abyssal energy as his master or someone from Khaenri'ah would, but he had enough in his body through both his foul legacy and his roughly patched injuries that it would be noticeable if he wasn't careful. He normally didn't have to worry, his clothing covered most of his skin so nobody would see it anyways, but with his shirt off he'd have to work a little bit more to ensure his veins didn't start randomly glowing purple under his skin.
Luckily, Dottore was distracted by someone else walking into the room to comment on how long it was taking Ajax to get undressed.
"Pants!" Dottore exclaimed happily, walking across the room to meet the Regrator, who had just entered the room from the bedroom door.
The Regrator, much like his husband, seemed to take a lot of pride in his appearance, perfectly put together just like the other was. His black turtleneck appeared like it was brand new, and it very well may have been, without so much as a single stitching sticking up out of place. His coat was larger than Dottore's, and somehow much more dramatic, falling elegantly from his shoulders and down to his feet.
He was also a very attractive man, and Ajax could see why Dottore must have liked him so much. His skin was pale, not in a sickly way, but in a way that made him look elegant and poised. His eyes were a mysterious purple, much like the shade of an electro vision, and they were highlighted by his golden framed glasses that looked as though they cost more than Ajax's childhood home. His hair stood out the most, however, shoulder length black hair that clearly took hours to style, hanging over his shoulder in a way that made him look effortlessly put together. He teetered the line between masculine and feminine, and he did it well.
"Ttore." He chided, his voice smooth and composed. "I know we've talked about this. Please stop calling me 'Pants' it's very undignified."
Dottore rolled his eyes, but even Ajax could see the fondness behind it. "Yes, yes, I know. 'It makes you sound childish' you've said. Would you prefer my pretty princess?"
"I'd prefer my name." Pantalone sighed, "but when have you ever been one to use a person's name?"
Dottore grinned. "You know me so well."
Ajax cleared his throat awkwardly. "Am I interrupting something?" The pair turned to look at him. Ajax rubbed the back of his neck, swinging his feet back and forward nervously. "Because I can always come back later."
Pantlone titled his head. "Ttore. Who's this?"
"This is Tartaglia." Dottore responded. "He's our new Eleventh."
Pantlone walked over to where Ajax was sat and held his hand out. Ajax took it into his and they shook hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Tartaglia." He began, smiling pleasantly. "I'm Lord Pantalone. You'll become more familiar with me when we have to meet to talk about your funding."
"Good luck with that." Dottore said, walking over. "Funding meetings are the most boring thing a person can do."
Pantalone glared at him, but he ignored it.
"Are you going to get breakfast?" Dottore asked.
Pantalone sighed. "That's the plan, as long as Signora isn't hogging the kitchen."
Dottore chuckled. "I assume she's out by now. Can you fetch me some as well?"
Pantalone nodded, making his way to the main door. "The usual?"
"Yep, the usual." Dottore confirmed.
Pantalone left without another word.
Dottore turned back to Ajax. "Shirt?"
"Right, yes." Ajax murmered, before taking his shirt off.
Dottore continued to examine him for a few more minutes, prodding at muscles and bones, and making a few notes about his scars. Ajax blocked most of it out, putting most of his focus into keeping his abyssal energy at rest while Dottore looked across his body, until the blue haired man finally took a step back, nodding in satisfaction.
"All good." He said, "You can put your shirt back on."
Ajax had never done something quicker in his life.
"That's the examination over." Dottore told him, taking some final notes. "I'll send a report over to Pierro this afternoon, so you can discuss anything in your meeting tommorow. He'll probably want to talk about the ADHD, if anything, so just be prepared for that. Otherwise, you're free to go."
"Uh, when is my meeting with Pierro?" Ajax asked. "Lord Pulcinella said you'd tell me."
"Oh right." Dottore murmered, "Silly me. It's at 3:15, in the afternoon, of course, not in the morning."
Ajax nodded. "Alright. Thank you."
And he stood up to get leaving. As he reached the door, Dottore called out to him once more.
"Lord Tartaglia?"
Ajax turned around. "Yes sir?"
"It was a pleasure meeting you, and I look forward to working with you in the future."
Ajax smiled, a real genuine smile. "Thank you, sir. I look forward to the same thing."