Thank you for the reviews guys! Hopefully I didn't come off as dead before I started, but I managed to get this up. Realizing that it take a good chunk of my time to write a decent amount was something I expected, but didn't really actually think it would take this long to get going. Anyways, I'm a little worried about this chapter, I hope that this comes off as believable enough (and that this isn't a Mary Sue.) R&R
Disclaimer: Besides a new weapon that I'm adding, Valkyria Chronicles is owned by SEGA
For all of Susie time in Bruhl, she consciously knew that a war was coming but, her subconscious never really wanted to believe a war could be coming. Never really mentally preparing herself for one and convinced that all this was just some sort of overblown exercise for an unlikely attack or an evacuation drill or… or…. Something.
It therefore seemed to all happen for once. One moment, Susie stood, transfixed at the horrible spectacle before her, the next running for her life. All she could perceive in her world were the shells whistling through the air, the earthshaking rumbling of them finding their mark, the screams of people. Whistling. Rumbling. Screaming. For her it seemed as though the Valkyur themselves were raining down destruction on this small innocent town. She ran and ran and ran. An unending marathon to… somewhere.
Suddenly she stopped, seeing before her a freshly gouged hole, the charred corpses of animals that seemed distinctly familiar, multitudes of flowers scattered everywhere… Jane!
Despite the fear and horror she had felt chasing after just moment ago. Her humanitarianism kicked in, overriding her concern of personal safety in amidst the steel rain, in order to search for and help a person she (if vaguely) knew. She realized with a start that she was still had that flower Jane gave her in her hands and quickly tucked it in her collar as an interim measure and began looking around outside the shop, momentarily fearing that she might only finding only parts of her.
"Jane!" Susie hollered through the wreckage. "Jane! Are you here!"
"Yeah!" A pained voice that was unmistakeably Jane's resounded in the demolished Bruhl Florist. "Damn it, help get this thing off of me!"
Gingerly picking her way through the broken shop, Susie was surprised that she could still navigate through the wreckage and that it still had the overpower scent of flowers. Soon, she found Jane who was pinned down by a particularly large piece of metal slab.
"Jane! Oh by the Valkyur are you alright?" Susie exclaimed.
"Oh yes Susie, I had never felt better." Jane sarcastically remarked. "Now are you going to stand there worrying about me or are you going to actually help me?"
"R-Right hold on."
Susie slung her Gallian Carbine over her shoulder and she and Jane started by respectively lifting and pushing the steel slab, slowly allowing Jane wiggle free from under it. Never experiencing such manual labor before in her life, Susie found it difficult to maintain the position what little strength her arms had and would of dropped it almost immediately if it wasn't for someone else's sake. After a lifetime of waiting (on Susie's part), Jane manage to struggle out under of the slab with Susie unceremoniously dropping it with relief.
"Now with that body pressing exper- OW! Jane suddenly clutched her ribs. Obviously she didn't come away with just only a few scratches on her part.
Almost automatically, Susie quietly knelt down and started applying a liberal dose ragnaid to Jane over her protest. Susie, never one to normally break rules and regulations, always had more ragnaid capsules then what was normally allowed by the Watch.
"Thanks, I guess I owe you one." Jane said grudgingly, in an almost deadpan tone she added "I think the artillery has stopped, lets go, need to see what has happened." Susie nervously followed her out of the rubble as Jane Turner roughly carved a path to the where the front door was. Soon enough they found themselves standing in front of the store. Susie looked on as Jane stood their surveying the wreckage of her beloved shop with a blank face. Observing a black petal falling down from the sky, Jane stretched out her right hand and let the petal fall into it, staring at it with an unhealthy fascination. She suddenly clenched her hands tightly with her body on a whole trembling.
Understandably nervous of Jane's situation, Susie spoke up. "Um. Jane?" she said hesitantly. "Jane we should probably go now, I think the Imperials wil-"
Without facing her, Jane said "Susie, it was the Imps right?" Eerily calm.
Taken aback by the tone of her voice she could only stutter "Y-Yes."
Jane stood there for a few more moments then turned to face Susie. "Susie, give me your rifle."
"W-what? But you know I-"
"I will say it once more, give your rifle. Susie." It was in a tone almost nobody could argue or reason with, least of all Susie. In short order, Susie removed her rifle and ammo pouches and quickly handed them to Jane who took them up eagerly and started slowly walking off to the sound of a skirmish being fought.
Foolishly, Susie tried one more time to reason with the older woman. "Jane, please, you seriously shouldn't fight! What if you get killed?!" Susie pleaded.
"I don't care, those Imps need to pay for what they done to my flowers. As long I take down some Imps with me. I will be happy." Jane replied.
If the situation wasn't so serious, Susie felt that she would of honestly unable cracked up at that statement.
However, back to the task at hand, Susie saw it was pointless to reason with Jane and praying that someone will be able to bring that woman back safely before she could get into serious trouble, started rushing off to Bruhl's town watch HQ remembering that she was long overdue to be there. Along the way she saw a few civilians amazingly still dragging away their valuables to the evacuation area in the south. Susie tried to question them on how the Watch is holding up the enemy, but they were either to scared to talk or they didn't bother to respond, more concerned with their own safety. She reached to an intersection where apparently, a fight was taking place and Susie took cover behind the wall when one of the Town guard team leader, a man named Dominic motioned her over to his position behind the sandbag wall on the curb. Reluctantly, Susie crouched and moved cautiously toward him, despite being shielded completely by enemy fire.
"Susie!" hollered out Dominic. "Where the in the valkyur where you, picking flowers and where is your rifle?!" Indicating to the pale white flower in her collar. Startled, Susie had in truth completely forgotten about it. Exasperated Dominic shouted "Well, never mind about that! You are heading towards HQ right?" Susie nodded her head vigorously. "Ok, tell the Head watch that my radio is broken, we lost David and Quincy and I think we saw one or two tanks" he hastily added "And we need more men!"
Susie nodded again, but then glanced out to the street. Imperial fire was everywhere it seemed. Dominic noticed her apprehension.
"Don't worry Susie, we will cover you!" Dominic said loudly, but unfortunately didn't seem convinced of his own words. Further, it seemed the Imps disagree with assessment with a line bullets pinging off the cobblestone road next to the sandbags. However, Susie had to take the captain's reassurance and moved herself to the end of the sandbag in preparation to make a dash across the street, with fear unhelpfully adding a few extra pounds to her boots.
"Ok! Everybody! Give covering fire on my mark!" Dominic hollered to the remaining men and women, all of whom had many different expressions ranging from fear and even... Joy?
"One!" Susie legs tensed. Wait…
"Two!" Oh valkyur what am I-
"Three!" The Gallian line open fired catching several Imps off-guard in the streets, who were advancing believing, erroneously, that the peasants lack of returning fire meant that they were finally breaking them. A few were cut down and the rest managed to get behind some kind of cover in the street.
Susie however, was anchored down where she was. All she could see that the Imp fire had let up somewhat, but there was still firing. She looked like a runner frozen just before starting, staring down a never-ending racing track. Then she witnessed in slow motion, a man on the other side at the corner falling down, with something red blossoming at his chest with idle fascination, she heard him scream in agony, echoing in her ears. After a few lifetimes, she registered two voices at once.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR! GO!"
Help Him! Why are you letting him die Susie? Is that what you want? Letting someone-
As although her legs were unshackled, she made an almighty dash to the other side, she found herself faintly registering bullets zipping around her for one moment and at the next at the corner apply ragnaid to the man.
"Susie." the man took a sharp breath, "Go on, I can heal myself."
"But-"
"Go and deliver the captain's message!" he reiterated in a stronger voice, "If you want to help us, tell the head captain!"
Susie was loath to abandon someone injured, but he did have a point. Taking one last glance to make sure the wound was healing she made her way to the HQ. She was thankful that she had no more encounters like that as she stumbled into the building, intent on delivering the message. When she found Head Captain Raynor, a grizzled and hardened EWI veteran, standing near the radio with several other men, he wasn't very please to say the least.
"Where were you Evans? We were afraid that you gotten yourself killed or gone AWOL! And where in the valkyur's name is your rifle?" questioned the Head Captain. Susie started giving the Captain a summary of what had happen, midway through he abruptly cut her off. "Ok, I get it, you had extenuating circumstances." He continued "Also did you happen to run into Captain Dominic? I had lost contact from him over the radio." Susie relayed the message to Captain Raynor, who brows furrowed when she mentioned tanks could be approaching. "Damn, this isn't good, we only got two old LANCAARs and they could barely hit the side of a barn." he sighed "But there they best chance we have against those monsters. Susie, Daniel follow me. Zachary, take the rest of the guys to reinforce Dominic's position. Tell him that were coming shortly."
"But what about Captain Wordsworth and Captain Melchiott?" One of the men spoke up.
"Don't worry about, them I'm pretty sure they are rallying men and women to hold off the Imps, now move out!"
The town watchmen under Zachary complied, leaving the three to get the weapons they need. The trio walked into armory, which wasn't much as it was mostly stocked with outdated weaponry.
"Here Susie, you still need to arm yourself." the Head Captain said gruffly, handed her a rifle of a noticeably Imperial design and of high quality to boot. Susie studied the rifle as the men went to get the ponderous Anti-Tank weaponry and noted it on closer inspection that it was an old Imperial service rifle from EWI, the ZM Gewehr and it was very well maintained by it owner. It had a bolt-action design which meant it couldn't be fired as rapidly, but she knew it was prized for it accuracy and reliability in combat. She also noticed that it had bayonet attachment, but it would be a cold day down under before she could even think about going into a melee with other living beings. Oddly, although it was uncomfortably long and heavy for her to wield compared to a carbine, she felt… something right about it, which ironically made her alot more uncomfortable holding it. Susie realized with a start that she still need ammo for her rifle as it wasn't loaded at all, sheepishly, she went garb several stripper clips from a box of magazines.
Susie feared that as she exited the armory with older men that they will be throwing themselves into enemy fire once more and against tanks no less! "Alright people!" Captain Raynor addressed to the two junior members of his team, "Let's go, I'm on point!" Before they left. however the radio crackled to life.
"…ome in, Come in, this Noce! Is somebody there? Please respond!" The Captain in a few quick strides was on the answering it.
"This is Head Captain Raynor here, where the hell are you Wordsworth? Over!"
"Sir, I'm stuck in my home! I think my leg is broken and can't move! Don't worry, I don't think the Imps have reached this area! Over!"
Raynor turned around, "Dammit, what a great time for him to get injured, Susie!"
"Y-Yes Sir!" Susie snapped up to attention.
"Go fetch Raynor and get him to the southern gate!"
"Right away!" Susie hurriedly sped off. In the background, she vaguely heard the Head Captain reassuring Noce that someone was on their way to get him out. Of course, she was glad that see didn't need to go to a battle with the dreadful possibility of having to kill someone, but she wished it didn't have to have someone injured as a result.
She didn't encountered any Imperials along the way, but she saw corpses of bodies who were killed by the artillery fire and shrapnel. A lot of paraphernalia was scattered around with broken timber, stone and abandoned carts that filled the street. She didn't look at their faces but rather determined at looked straight ahead, hoping that at least they had made it to heaven.
Noce's home was in a three story apartment, as a poet he didn't really have much to go by, but the landowner was generous enough to lend on slightly reduced rent. There was a gaping hole in the roof where Noce lived, much to Susie's alarm. A quick flight up the stairs later found herself in an almost surprisingly intact room with countless amounts of poems scattered all over, with a bloody trail leading to the next room. She stopped at the doorframe and found a bleeding Noce Wordsworth who had apparently made a heroic effort to drag himself to the radio for help. Noce gave her a weak grin when he saw her.
"Noce!" Susie screamed rushing over to his side. "By the valkyur your bleeding all over!"
"S-Susie" Noce gasped. "S-so glad that y-you're here. My r-ragnaid all broke…"
Susie cut him off. "Please don't talk, your making yourself a lot harder on yourself." Susie said as she methodically applied the last of her ragnaid on him. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to heal his arm fully, but the rest was tolerable. With Susie's help, Noce eventually manage to be able to stand, although with some difficulty. "Do you legs still hurt?" she asked.
"Y-Yeah, but don't worry." Noce trying to reassure Susie who was poised to supporting him. Then, he looked very uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Ummm…. Follow me, Susie." Confused, Susie followed him to where the windowsill used to be. " Susie, I know this isn't your uhh… expertise, but…. Can you take one of those bastards out? For me?"
It took Susie for moment for her to comprehend what her Team Captain just said. " Wh-what!?" evidently shocked that she would hear Noce say such a thing. "But you know that…" Susie's protested was cut off.
"Look Susie! Just look!" Noce shouted, evidently enraged. "Those damn Imps destroyed our homes! They killed many innocents! They ruined our livelihood and threaten everything, I can't just stand there and not shoot back!" as he continued his tirade, he used his good left arm to gestured frantically towards the town, when something caught Susie's eye, shiny red helmet, that was in the town which was encouraging other figures to go forward. Without even being aware of her own movement she approached the broken windowsill…..
Another hot and windless day in the school's mandatory military education course. How did Susie detested that she was forced to be trained in the art of killing with no say in the matter, through at least they were inanimate objects for now…
They were now on the firing range, which was very complete even for University school, with ranges up to 1000 meters. Many targets lie riddled with holes, through they will be replaced when the next class comes by.
"Good shot Evans!"
Susie took another look and saw that she made a small hole within the cardboard cutout.
"I didn't think that someone like you can actually shot like that!" Boomed the school arms instructor, a retired veteran that served in EWI. "Or is just lady luck on your side?"
Susie gave out a pained smile. "M-maybe she is sir."
In truth, most of her shot were not made from luck, something she wished was true, that all these shot were just her being 'lucky'. That she wasn't that good at being a killer or taking someone else's life. For someone calling herself a pacifist, she had used a rifle many more times then she would like to admit.
Many more time then even at school.
"Well Miss Evans" The old man laughed in a good natured way. "I hope you will indulge me in one more shot before we leave." Susie nodded, realizing she really didn't have any choice in the matter anyways. "Well, then can you hit that target over there?" indicating a target somewhat far down the range, a target with a shiny red center.
Without a word she went up to sandbags and doing a quick check, see realized that she forgot to reload her rifle. Taking a stripper clip she placed it on top of the magazine and pushed down until it was loaded and threw away the metal clip and cycled the bolt back in. Resting the rifle on top of the parapet, she peered down the crude iron sights, lining up the target, taking care to aim at the tip of the red circle in accounting for the distance. Completely calm, she breathed in deeply…
And squeezed the trigger.
'CRACK'
A Petal, one that had a pale colors of white and yellow fell.
Susie blinked in surprised, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Quivering, she slowly turning around and saw Noce seemingly dumbstruck by what he saw, was frozen like a statue. She looked back again, her ZM Gewehr slightly smoking and unable to see the red helmet see saw many figure crowding around what she was unconsciously aiming at. Realization brutally slammed into her as she dropped her rifle, unable to fathom how she had seemingly pulled the trigger without hesitation. Shakily, she managed to pick up her rifle again and motioned Noce to leave, unable to use speech.
It was blur from there on out, she can remember faintly escorting Noce to an aid station out the southern gate, seeing a person see could vaguely connect with 'flowers' whom was knocked out for some reason. She couldn't remember much at all when she blacked out.
AN: Well, for all those that are confused on what the ZM Gewehr is here is an another weapon to add to your VC glossary (or at least to my fic as far I know.)
ZM Gewehr
Type: Military Rifle
Length: 1250mm
Barrel Length: 740mm
Caliber: 7.62mm
Clip Size: 5 rounds
Weight: 4090g
The Zechmeister Gewehr Model 1898 was the rifle that set the standard for all future rifles to be measured up against. Using a strong and simple action which is still used in most bolt-action rifles, it was the weapon that swept aside the Empire's enemies in EW1. Made in the millions, it was the standard Imperial infantrymen weapon throughout EW1.
It was loved by it users who noted it for it high accuracy and reliability in the muddy trenches. A bayonet could be affixed to the weapon, but however, many experienced soldiers preferred to fashion home-made clubs or spades which proved to be more effective inside the confided spaces of a trench.
Although a shorten version of the rifle (ZM G98k) was developed late in the war, only a few saw actual service in EW1 and any chance of it being in widespread use in EWII disappeared with the advent of the ZM Kar series. It design however, continue to live on in the ZM SG which owes its exceptional accuracy to it forefather.
Obviously we all know what its based on, but it kind of doesn't seem right to use it actual name, as it name seems kind of out of place in the VC world.
On another note, has anybody ever notice how accurate Susie is? (especially with 'Sighting') She seems to be almost as accurate as Alica is. (Well at least the aiming reticule seems pretty tight as Alica's.)