Chapter 10

0819 hours… Romagnan airspace…

Shirley was flying towards where the C-47 should be after receiving orders to ensure the safety of the agents from the UNIA. At this time, she was travelling at Mach 1 and knows its great significance…

On approach, she already got to Rome and it's a surprise to her that the action was happening just off the west side of Romagna while the C-47 was in smoke while flying 3000 feet over the city. 'Damn it… they were pushed in Rome by force, eh? It's in bad shape now and…' And to one side, she witnessed a jet Neuroi unit coming at the C-47 from its right. "Crap!" But she wasn't able to do anything. It already fired a beam at the tail section just before she saw the C-47 lose altitude. Some seven seconds later, she saw the plane exploded. "NO! Minna… the plane just blew up!"

"What?! Scan the damn area! They might have jumped somehow. We can't lose them now!"

"Wait… I see them and… Oh no." Shirley muttered while seeing two people falling.

Tyler was hit with a piece of debris on his head while on free fall. Eventually, Kelvin accidentally lets go of his unconscious brother while they fell from 3000 meter off the ground. "TYLER!" 'Shit… Gotta do something now.' Then he saw a nearby building. 'If I could ricochet and do a thrust from there, I could get to my brother and at least save us the moment of getting splat.' He wasted no time as he angled himself downwards to catch up to the unconscious Tyler still falling. Eventually, he finally got the side of the building beside him. At this time, he was also positioned just parallel to his brother and now near the ground. 'One shot.' He thought just before his legs were surrounded by a red aura. "PHOENIX THRUST…" With an instinctive action to his ability, he angled his feet to attempt kicking off from the wall of the building. "…HO!" And with that, he made a huge kick with two feet and launched himself towards his brother, not only killing the downward momentum, but also catching his brother and restarting their gravity while together, but also included the forward force he created.

But just as Kelvin's luck was running, it was running out fast. He saw a bakery just in front of them. 'This is gonna hurt…' He thought while falling fast and forward to the bakery below, made mostly of wood. 'You better live from this, Ty. I'm not losing you!' He held tight on his brother and angled his back towards the bakery.

Shirley saw the whole thing. As he saw the one in the back hurling towards the bakery, her eyes fixed on the two hitting the bakery by force. "SHIT! Minna… they crashed in a bakery! I'm moving to take a closer look!"

"Oh… no. I'm sending over Miyafuji to your location now! Make sure they're okay!"

"Roger!" Shirley then flew down towards the bakery in the city limits. She then saw people freaking out as most of them ran from the scene. She saw a thick amount of dust from the crash. As she hovered at the door, she saw the bakers run out. "Hey, wait!" She then stopped a baker who seemed concerned of her. "What happened to the two of them?"

"Dio mio… Those two men have crashed in my bakery! I didn't know if the boilers would blow up when…"

"You left them there?!"

"The place will blow if the pressure from the boilers build up! We were tight on schedule."

"Ugh… Where are they?!"

"Inside… just near the boilers where the spare wood for the kiln should be."

Shirley wasted no time as she hovered quickly through the entrance. She felt some dust in the place and decided to wear her goggles. "Hello?!" She called out, hoping the two would still be able to respond.

Meanwhile… Kelvin stirred awake as he shook his head. 'Damn… I'm alive. Miracle?' He shook himself to his senses just before he opened his eyes and looked around. 'Ovens… boilers… firewood?' He widened his eyes as he saw the boilers, and the pressure gauge. The pressure was getting too high. 'Not good! Wait… Tyler?!' He then looked around and saw Tyler on the ground and on his back. Wasting no time, Kelvin got on his knees and eventually his feet before he walked to Tyler. "Ty… You're okay, you son of a bitch…" He kneeled beside Tyler to examine him, and saw Tyler with a bruise on the head. That hit from the debris also made a scar. 'A scratch. It didn't bleed out though. He'll be fine.'

She still hovered, now going in deep in the bakery and nearing the boiler room. 'Where are they?' "Hello?! Where are you guys?!"

Kelvin carried Tyler bridal style since he's got a stronger build and eventually started walking, while limping from his left leg. He even heard the sound of a teenager calling out from a distance. 'Who's that? A girl's here?'

"Hello?! I gotta get you both out of here!"

He recognized the voice. 'Well damn. Shirley… that speed devil from the flats…' "HEY! WE'RE OVER HERE!" Eventually, he was able to walk out of the boiler room, and eventually, he was able to see an orange-haired Liberion witch on strikers. She seemed alert while being around here. She was seen carrying a Thompson M1A1 SMG. Eventually she slung it. "Hey… carry him out first! Those boilers are gonna blow up!"

Shirley took no time and finally got the younger Liberion in her hands. "I got him!"

"Fly him out of here! I'll catch up!"

"But your leg!"

"GO!" Kelvin's demand got Shirley scurrying as she flew out. He wasted no time to walk and limp faster, only getting his leg to be hurt as he kept on making steps.

The Liberion witch immediately got the Liberion man out of the bakery. She hovered down and gently placed him down on the ground while some cops were able to get to him. She then heard an explosion from inside and faced the cops. "Take care of him! There's another one inside!" With no delay, she threw her SMG aside and sped back in the bakery.

Kelvin was walking faster, but couldn't go any faster since he was limping. That explosion will follow by others, and soon engulf the bakery. "Shit… Gotta… Try… AGGH!" His own bad leg got him to kneel while in pain. More explosions were heard from the boiler room as he looked at the bakery entrance not far now. Shirley was then visible as she flew and hovered beside him. "Those boilers…"

She then picked him up with his body on hers. "Hold on tight!" Hearing more explosions from the boilers she sped going to the direction of the entrance and eventually got out. While out and now distant from the bakery, she hovered while seeing the bakery get engulfed in flames from the continuous explosions made from that same room. The bakery was now on fire and it was a sight to behold. "Whoa…"

He was then put down near his unconscious conscious brother Tyler. Immediately he kneeled to check on him. He even inspected the gash he has on the forehead. "Shit… Tyler's fine, but I'm gonna need to stitch up his forehead."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't need to be. And I know you, Charlotte Yeager. Broke the land speed record recently?"

"Yeah… Good thing some know me around here." Shirley then picked up her Thompson and slung it behind her. "Look… They shouldn't have left you in there."

"Wait, what are you doing?"

Shirley didn't answer that as she glanced over where the head chef should be. 'He's gonna pay for this.' He then hovered towards the head chef and with no doubt grabbed his collar while she raised altitude. It was about 50 meters off the ground that she stopped saw him screaming for his life. "Why the hell did you leave them in there?!"

"AAHHH! Please… PUT ME DOWN!"

"Really?"

"JUST LET ME GO! LET ME GO!"

"Well, okay!"

"No, I mean…" Before he even completed it, she let him go and gravity took over. "AHHHH!" For a while just before he hits the ground, the back of his shirt was grabbed just before gravity stopped and momentum bringing him towards a direction was made. Eventually, he was dropped safely to the ground by Shirley near the brothers. "Apologize!"

The head chef was fearing the witch who did that to him and immediately looked at Kelvin. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry for leaving you like that!"

"It's… okay?" Kelvin replied, while a little confused. "I forgive you."

"Thank you… Thank you…!" The head chef looked at the witch, who was glaring at him. In fear, he ran from them.

Kelvin saw the fear in his eyes and glared at Shirley. "What did you just do?!"

"What?" Shirley shrugged while hovering down to his level. "Just did that to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Come on… give him a break. He just lost his bakery there."

"Sure… but he should do the right thing since he's strong in carrying your brother there."

"Sorry about that."

"No big deal there. Anyway… you two are those agents Minna talked about?"

"Oh, heard about us, have you?"

"Yup." Shirley then looked towards Tyler while his forehead was given a bandage. "Bandaged up, eh?"

"That's my brother right there… Tyler. And the name's Kelvin by the way."

"Guess you know my name, huh? I'll tell you anyway. Name's Charlotte Yeager, and I'm a Flight Lieutentant."

"Thought so. One of the witches of the 501st?"

"Hey, you've done your homework!"

"I gotta know who are the people who could help us out, huh?" Kelvin then noticed Tyler's groan, as if he was stirring awake…

"Uhhn… Fuck… my head..."

"Tyler!" Kelvin then kneeled beside Tyler, trying to help him sit up since the younger brother decided to try understanding what happened. "Easy there. You took a nasty hit on the head."

"Yeah… I noticed."

"Glad you're okay."

But with Tyler hearing those words, he had to make sure. As soon as he opened his eyes and focused on his leg, he was worried. "You didn't sprain yourself, did you?"

"Oh, this? I'm fine."

"No you're not. You look hurt."

"I said I'm fine, Tyler."

"Look… just don't pretend. I know what that's like. Okay?"

"Tch. Like you had a sprained leg before."

"Kelvin…"

"Just shush!" Shirley had to interrupt the brothers. "Look… It's better you both get your act together. The two of you should stay here near the bakery. Yoshika's on her way here to assist you. She's a healing witch. Though…" She sighed, knowing she had something at the back of her mind lately. "I'm surprised you two are still alive though. How'd you survive a fall like that?"

"Charlotte, I'm gonna be honest with you. You believe that it's just the girls who are witches?"

"Yeah."

"You're about to be proven wrong." Kelvin then glanced at Tyler and nodded. "Can you?"

"No need to tell me twice, bro."

Then Kelvin glanced back at Shirley before the brothers have shown their blue magic imbued on their body before their familiars came out and was visible to the girl's eyes. "No… way…! You two are witches? How old are you both?!"

"28." Kelvin replied.

"25." Tyler replied.

"This is great…" Shirley then saw the brothers let go of their magic and eventually their familiars that went back in them. "Well, I don't know about the two of you, but I better get out there and help them out."

"Sure thing." Kelvin crossed his arms. "You got an extra earpiece though? You said a healer witch will come by."

"Well… okay. I guess I can give you my extra one. Just bring it back in one piece, okay?" She browsed the pockets of her uniform before she found the spare earpiece and threw it to Kelvin. "That's the only one. Sorry."

"Just go. We'll be fine here."

"Right. We'll make sure to keep them company then! As for you two… just stick to somewhere Yoshika will see you, okay?" Shirley smiled just before she flew up and out of the city.

Kelvin then helped Tyler up to stand. "Think you can walk by yourself?"

"You got your bad leg, but I'll be helping you on that, Kel. Besides… we're in Rome right now."

"No wonder this place was familiar. You sent me a photo from here, didn't you? You were tracking down that 'possible terrorist' call when you sent mail… and from here of all places?"

"What? It's a good city. Hehehe…" Tyler then stood up straight and started to help Kelvin in walking. "Anyway… I know where we can go to. It's not far from here. She'll be able to see us from where we'll be."

"Where's that?"

"Coliseum. It's not far from here."

"Meaning?"

"I got a little cash for a taxi going there if you want."

"Better than nothing… wait, you got money?"

"Better than losing it in the plane."

"Asshole." Kelvin shook Tyler's head with a free hand. "Of all things to lose, and your wallet wasn't one of them."

"Kidding? I'm travelling to Romagna without it, I'm fucked up."

"Still an asshole…"

"…and your asshole. Now come on. We gotta make sure she sees us." Tyler then helped his limping brother off the Coliseum. Things, couldn't get any worse for Kelvin… which Tyler wished he hadn't thought at all…