Skies over Romagna, 1945
The sky has become a battleground as witches engaged the Neuroi, gunfire broke the peace of the day and the black mass of our foe blocked out the sun and shaded the earth.
The roar of my P-39 Strikers fills my arctic wolf ears, the wind making them flap as i griped my DP-28 Orussian built Light Machine Gun tightly,taking aim as my weapon chattered and released a burst of deadly fire upon the beast. It bellowed in return, sending beams of red death towards me, raising my shield in one motion i blocked it's attack.
"Give me some cover, i'm gonna try to get above it"! My comrade Danaka yell's at me with her crimson hair ,the M2 flamethrower she weilds still in her grip, i node as i reload and begin my assault once more. I watch as she flip's up above the beast, dodging laser's and with a hefty scream, let's her hell's fire loss.
The beast in engulfed in flames, all the wile the rest of us fill it with bullets in what some would call overkill.
We call it procedure.
Watching the beast as it feel to the ocean bellow before exploding in a shower of shards we regroup, Me Danaka, the commander and Kelly.
"Nice work everyone" the commander says, her accent making it easy to tell's she from Britannia.
"Thank you maim" we all say in unison as we relax, my thought's drift, a nice bath when we get back would be nice maybe a bit of lunch.
Maybe that, thinking about food and a bath is why i didn't see the drone.
As we fly back, the hair on the back of my neck stand up as i hear something cut through the air followed by pain. I fall, watching my comrade's turn smaller and smaller as the world slowly darken's and i pass out.
...
Waking up, my eye's opening i relax, i'm sitting in a hospital bed, the sheet's crisp and white.
"Knew it" i lie to myself, i was scared i had met my end, bit the dust as they say. well i was wrong and i wouldn't want it any other way. Sitting up i find an IV in my arm and my uniform replaced with a hospital robe.
"Awake i see" i here a voice say as a young man with dark hair walks in, he wears the uniform of a marine but with a white coat over it.
"yeah doc, can't feel anything though" i added rubbing the back of my neck.
"it's the pain killers, Captain, you know your very lucky to be alive after what you went though, most people wouldn't have lived"
"Well i'm not just anyone, i just can't wait to get back out their and tell everyone i'm OK"
His face light's up with a frown "Captain, has anyone spoken with you yet"? he asks.
I shake me head "No, i only just got up. why?"
"Oh, well you see the extent of your wounds...a drone blasted your strikers..." he trails off.
I'm trying to understand, am i going to be stuck here long? and this jack ass can't speak causing me to yell at him.
"WHAT IS IT?" i say jumping out of bed to my feet...or so i though as i lose my balance and fall to the cold floor with a thunk.
And that's when i see what he's talking about.
My right leg is missing at the knee.
Picking me up off the floor, the doctor speaks "Your leg couldn't be saved, your lucky we didn't take the entire thing" he tell's me trying to make it sound better then it is.
Gripping his tie and pulling him only inches from my face, now read with anger i tell him what i think
"My Fucking leg is gone, my life as a witch, a soldier in this war is gone, and your telling me to look on the bright side"?
His face is grim as he think's or an answer "I'm sorry" he says.
My fist hit's him right between the eyes and he falls to the floor in a heap, he stand's slowly, his nose gushing blood as he gives me one last look, placing a white cloth to his face that quickly turned a crimson red, he left closing the door behind him.
I'm pissed, i want to say i was strong, knew i did my part, like a good soldier i understood their wasn't anything i could do.
No, i cried. I throw my head down into a pillow and sobbed myself to sleep.
"Oh God why" i sobbed, my voice of a once proud and strong warrior reduced to that of a shallow sad girl thrown in to an unjust world that played her a dirty hand. I just refused to go on, my life was over even if the Neuroi hadn't killed me, they had taking away my life, not even a death in combat, they left me maimed and useless.
Drifting to sleep i stair at the ceiling.
"Oh God why"? I think to myself gazing out the window as a light snow falls, it reminds me of home in Orussia. the cold land of ice where my childhood had been, now under the control on the Neuroi. it make's my blood boil to think of that.
And now i can do nothing to help...
I was thinking the other day,what happens to a witch if she's maimed ? many soldiers today return home missing arms or legs, paying the price for their nation and they face a long road, surgery, learning to live without limbs and many other hardships. I hope this has given you a bit to chew on today.