Chapter 11: Settling into Spirit Base!
"What is it Vignette...," Gabriel nervously asked. "Y-You've been staring at me for a while now."
"I think you know what it is."
"Umm...is...is it because I'm...cute?"
"Gabriel Tenma White. Don't act all coy with me."
Vignette sat up on the bed and firmly planted her feet on the floor. She continued to glare angrily at Gabriel, who was in the middle of reading a manga.
"Is...this some kind of weird power fetish? Cause if it is, I'm kinda enjoying it."
"I'm being serious."
Gabriel sighed, putting down her manga and sitting up cross legged on the bed facing Vignette. They both wore patient gowns, Gabriel donning more red bandages and tubes sticking out her arm than Vignette.
"Ok then. Let's get serious," Gabriel said flatly. Evidently, she did not enjoy these conversations. There were too many tears and emotions involved. "And before Miss Tsukinose begins her statement, I would like to make it clear that A: we are still alive. And B: my...recklessness as you would call it, secured us living quarters, increased our reputation as well as furthered the war effort in our favour.
Vignette crossed her arms and looked down. "Yes, I'm grateful for that. Sometimes your recklessness pays off. But...but..."
Her voice faded away.
"But what?," Gabriel asked.
"Sneaking into an enemy base to rescue hostages without telling anyone...running headfirst into toxic gas with no mask...possibly getting shot at by a company who was legally allowed to shoot on sight?! I don't know if you're trying to give me a heart attack, but it's fucking getting there...!"
"I-I-I'm not!"
"Listen to me Gab," Vignette sternly said. "We're a team. At least account me and Raphie into whatever stupid thing you're about to do. We can't have your death on our hands, you hear?"
"And I can't have yours on mine, so we're equal."
"I guess we'll all die then, is that what you want?"
"Better I die than you!"
"What in the...so what! You're just gonna die and leave me alone in this dog-shit world without you?! Fuck you Gabriel!"
"That's not what I meant!"
The two were screaming loud enough at each other to the point where Raphiel and Dr Sechnov came running into the room.
"My my my! What's going here?!," Raphiel scolded, physically getting in-between Gabriel and Vignette.
"Nothing!"
"Nothing?! Why don't you stop being so fucking reckless all the time and risking your life you heartless-"
"Vignette!"
Raphiel bared her teeth at the girl which put a lid on her rage temporarily. There was a moment of tense silence in the air before Gabriel calmly responded.
"Vignette. We're soldiers. I chose this. You and Raphie chose this. We can quit anytime if you want."
"I'm not saying we should quit. I'm saying you should stop taking unnecessary risks."
"Then I'll never forgive myself Vignette. I'll have to live with the fact that I murdered innocent people because I stood by and watched. Including you."
Vignette grit her teeth. She knew that Gabriel was right. She knew the feeling of deep regret and shame after failing to take action.
"...I have to do something. I don't want to die old...sitting at my computer. I don't want to die knowing I could have done something."
"Gabriel."
"I made a promise. I'm not going to break it you know."
Dr Sechnov grunted in annoyance and left the room, chalking it up to adolescent, teenage girl troubles, while Raphiel moved Gabriel's legs back under her sheets.
"Good," Raphiel said quietly. "There's a lot of people who don't want to see you in a body bag. People who care for you, look up to you, people who need you."
"It's not like I want to die either. I don't want anyone to die," Gabriel whined as she rested her head back down on the pillow.
"It certainly seemed like you were asking for it these past few days," Vignette muttered as she also laid down.
"Shut it Vignette."
"Try and get some sleep you two. It's late."
Raphiel smiled at the angel-demon duo. She turned off the lights and left the room, letting their eyes adjust to the moonlight shining through the window. Gabriel turned around in her bed so that she wasn't facing Vignette, still somewhat pissed off towards her.
"Is she trying to stop me? I'm trying to save humanity here! The one fucking purpose I was sent down to-"
Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a warm body snuggle up next to her under the covers.
"V-V-Vignette...?," Gabriel whispered, turning her head slightly. She saw purple in her peripheral. "...aren't you mad at me?"
"...I could never be mad at you," she muttered, nose buried in Gabriel's messy hair. "...only extremely worried."
"...I'm...sorry. For making you worried."
Gabriel felt Vignette hug her even tighter, causing her face to flush red.
"Vig...nette...ow!"
"Gab! Sorry...! Sorry...I forgot-"
"It's okay. You can hug me...here."
Gabriel guided Vignette's slender, warm arms around her chest, which was the only part of her not bandaged up. Vignette could feel the angel's heart rapidly start to thump wildly, like it was trying to escape her body.
"Mmmm...," Gab moaned quietly, enjoying the feeling of someone next to her as she drifted off.
"...Gab...I wish I can hold you like this forever..."
Gabriel giggled. "Vigne the lolicon."
"W-W-W-What?! I don't-"
"Oi. Don't let go of me."
"S-Sorry."
"...you're a total lolicon."
"N-No way...!"
"Yes way. Vigne the perv."
The two quipped harmless insults towards one another, and they slowly decreased in volume and coherency as they drifted off into sleep, snuggled up against each other. It might have been the first time that Gabriel had slept peacefully without a nightmare knocking on her mind that night.
"...Gab! Gab!," Vignette yelled. "Come on you slowpoke!"
"Hah...hah...my...back..."
Gabriel climbed the grassy hill on all fours and collapsed on her face when she reached the top.
"Argh...I'm not as young as I used to be huh..."
"Aw...is wittle Gabwiel getting slower?," Vignette teased as she set the picnic blanket down.
"Shut it...how the hell are you so agile anyway?"
"Looks like I saved my energy during the war! Look!," she remarked as she did jumping jacks. "I can still jump!"
"Grr...I ended the war you little-"
Gabriel suddenly pounced on her girlfriend and they proceeded to play fight, Vignette eventually pinning the loli down by her wrists, given that she was taller and had more muscle mass.
"War's not over yet girl...," Vignette declared in a low voice. "Now...where are the rebel bases? Where is general death-to-humanity?!"
"I'll never talk! I'd sooner die for my values!," Gabriel laughed. Vignette leaned closer to Gabriel's face, almost touching her nose. The corners of her lips curled into a mischievous grin.
"Well...looks like you need some...convincing...if you know what I mean...," she seductively whispered, biting her bottom lip.
"Try me. You'd be wasting your time. That and there are ants devouring our sandwiches."
"Ahh!"
Gabriel giggled as Vignette shooed away the two or three ants crawling up the sandwiches, and they agreed to save the 'interrogation' after they had lunch. She stretched happily on the picnic blanket, basking in the warm sunlight like a cat, as she took small bites from her half of the sandwich.
"Ah...surprised this is in good condition...," Vignette observed, fiddling at the red cross keychain on Gabriel's bag. "Kid sure can make good keychains."
"Well...I guess I had to fix it up every once in a while. Had a bullet punch straight down the middle of it during Chugoku."
"W-What?!," Vignette gasped, inspecting the keychain. She held it up to the sun and noticed that the middle was painted over in a slightly different shade of red. "How'd you-"
"Plate caught it. Luckily."
"You're lucky I didn't see that. Otherwise you would've had a bigger problem on your hands," Vignette said, flicking Gabriel's forehead.
"You're plenty 'big' yourself, Vignette," Gabriel teased, rolling on her side, her head propped up with a straight arm.
Vignette blushed and covered her chest. "I-I-It's because of what you've been getting us! I told you to buy fruits and veg, not meat and stuff!"
"Huhhh? Fine...," Gabriel whined playfully. "I mean...I wouldn't mind a 'thicc' Vignette..."
"Th-th-thi...?!"
Vignette's brain was about to overheat just as two small children, a boy and a girl, came running up the hill.
"Hey you two. What are we playing?," Gab chirped as her and Vignette began petting them.
"Tag! You're it!," he exclaimed as the two children laughed and ran down the hill.
"Why you...come back here! I'm going to get you! Vignette! You gonna let these little twerps get away with that?"
Vignette smiled. "Course not!," she yelled as she ran down the hill with her girlfriend.
"...hah...course...not..."
"Oi. Vignette. What is that girl saying...?," Gabriel muttered. "Time to wake up."
"..guh? Oh. Gab. I was in the middle of something..."
"Uh huh. Something about a picnic?"
"Yeah. We were having a lovely time until you ruined it. What's the time?"
"...six am."
"Gab!"
"Debriefing remember?"
Vignette groaned in her pillow, repeatedly hitting the bed with her shins in a fit of annoyance, but eventually got out of the cot.
"What. Why are you staring?," Gabriel moaned as she got dressed. "You're not even checking me out, are you?"
Vignette slowly blinked, rubbing her eyes free from any morning crust (the weird build-up around your eyes when you wake up) and continued to stare at Gabriel's face.
"You just look different."
"...do I now? Have I grown taller?"
"You've grown shorter actually."
"Don't compare me to what you saw in your dream."
After they got dressed in their military fatigues, they left a note on the bed and tiredly left the clinic. It was cold, no doubt due to the nuclear aftermath. It would only get colder from here, they thought.
"How much money?"
"Eh...six thousand?," Vignette muttered, not bothering to check her wallet. "Yeah...enough for one jacket."
"We have to. At this rate I'm gonna head back to the clinic."
"Fine by me."
The two spent half an hour outside in the cold after buying one large blanket to wrap around each other (Vignette insisted that she buy one large blanket instead of two smaller blankets, saying that they could share body heat) before they reached the intelligence building which was once an old library. They were stopped by two guards at the gate, and they showed their ID's and digital debriefing order on their phones.
"All clear," he said on his shoulder radio, and the heavy metal gate slowly creaked open sideways.
"What do you think happened to Luca?," Gabriel asked as they walked. "You think he'll forgive me?"
"There's nothing to forgive," Vignette replied with no hesitation. "He knew what he signed up for. We told them that any one of us could die."
"But...Luca might think because Max was the pilot..."
"I think Luca's calmed down. He knew that we were in the right."
They knocked on the door to the lieutenant's office.
"Private White. Private Tsukinose. Come in," he said. They entered the office and noticed Raphiel was sitting opposite him, nibbling on a bagel.
"Good morning you two! How'd you sleep?," Raphiel asked politely.
Vignette fought the urge not to blurt out about her wonderful dream and replied with a simple 'good', and sat down. The lieutenant was also taking sips of warm coffee while filling out what look like a report on his monitor.
"Fucking superpowers...," he said with distaste. "Couldn't resist going the nuclear path, could they? Now we have to contend with the aftermath."
"Nuclear winter...," Gabriel mumbled.
"But...we were fortunate enough to have you three and War Dogs take back Springs for us. That means more resources and territory for us, and less for the Chinese."
They simply nodded as the lieutenant looked away from his monitor and at Gabriel.
"The card?," he asked, holding out his hand. Gabriel fished it out her pocket and gave him the micro SD card containing some footage from her helmet cam. On it was the hostage rescue from the radio tower, the gas attack / escape from Springs and them taking it back with the help of the Oculus.
He sifted through the videos on his computer and whistled.
"Quite the heroic medic we've got here huh?," he marvelled. "Private Gabriel Tenma White and company."
"Yes sir."
"Hmm. Yeah. This will be easy to explain."
"I don't quite understand."
"Well, there were four War Dog Company members with you no? We can just pin the blame on them and say there was no insubordination of JSDF soldiers."
"Sir, did we do something wrong?"
"Course. You executed an attack not overseen by your superiors, even though you succeeded. We can't have soldiers go all rogue and kill enemy soldiers without permission. So we can tell our higher-ups that you were forced by War Dog company to-"
"That's not true," Vignette interrupted. "Gabriel was dying from the gas attack and couldn't walk very far, so we needed some transport. We found a downed Legion Oculus, but it was already claimed by War Dogs. So we had to negotiate with them."
"What did you negotiate?," he asked tiredly, before taking a long sip of his coffee.
"One million dollars for each War Dog member that fights," Gabriel said.
"I see. Not too bad of a deal. I would've asked for more."
"Will...you pay them?," Raphiel hesitantly asked.
"Hmm...I don't think the finance department will be happy about this. Four million is nothing, but its not about the money. We pay them for a job we never asked them to do and what will the company do next? They'll go around clearing other Ares controlled territories."
"Isn't that good?," Gabriel asked.
He shook his head. "Sometimes we can't attack a force. They might have hostages. Prisoners of war. High-ranking officials we need alive. Et cetera. So we can't pay them so..."
"...so?"
"So I'll tell General Kasai that you three threatened to resign if he doesn't authorise the payment to your hired teammates. Then I'll tell him your squad leader was KIA and the authority was transferred over to Private White, and she used her power accordingly."
"Is our squad leader...?"
"No, he got out of the attack alive, but gravely wounded. His lungs and skin are burnt to bits. But you didn't know so its fine."
"So...everything's fine then? No repercussions?," Gabriel asked, crossing her fingers.
"Well...I guess so. Lot of paperwork behind the scenes cause of you three, but it was hell of thing you three did. Good fuckin' work," he complimented, leaning over the desk to shake everyone's hand. "I'll even vouch for your possible promotion."
"Thank you lieutenant!," the trio said simultaneously.
"Now get out of here. God, it's too early for this shit...," he grumbled as he went back to filling out a report.
The three gave a small salute and left the office. They began quietly screaming and cheering to one another in the somewhat empty hallway.
"Gabriel!"
"We're the best."
"A promotion! We could boss people around!"
"And cut in line! And get paid more!"
"Gab-chan! Gab-chan!"
"Wait...hold on a minute," Gabriel said, and knocked on the door again. "Lieutenant? May I ask you one question?"
"Open the door. What is it," he flatly said, typing away.
"What happened to our hired guns?"
"I think they're in a holding cell, police office. I'll make sure they get out soon, but yeah. Why don't you check up on them, tell them what's going on."
"Roger. Police office," she confirmed. "Thank you."
After the trio talked to Luca, Isaac and Cooper in the local police office's holding cells, they stopped by the computer store, run by a civilian who was displaced due to the war. Meanwhile Raphiel, being listed as the only non-injured member of their squad, followed her timetable and went to the range to practice her shooting.
"See you Raphie. Say hi to our roommates for us?," Vignette said.
"Will do! Have fun in the clinic you two! Don't do anything naughty!," Raphiel teased as she bolted, causing the angel and demon to look at each other funny.
"Y-Yeah Vignette," Gabriel quipped. "I'm a holy angel. Don't defile me."
"Your holiness died a long time ago, Tenma-san," Vignette reminisced, back when she was a neat, orderly and respectful human being. "Now hurry up and get your laptop so we can get out of this cold."
They were in and out of the shop, Gabriel now having received her government-issued laptop (which she could hopefully hook up to the internet and play games on) and soon they were back at the clinic to rest. The bitter cold kept the formalities to a bare minimum, Gabriel having to say hello to only a handful of patrolling soldiers who have heard the rumours about her. She changed into her pyjamas and dived into bed, forgetting about her injuries.
"Gah!," Gabriel groaned, rolling over on her bed while clutching her stomach. "I...forgot about that...!"
"Gab you idiot!," Vignette scolded as she scurried over to check. "Phew...nothings bleeding at least."
"What...ever...probably just my intestines jiggling around in there."
"Open your mouth," Vignette ordered, holding a tube of food paste. "Breakfast."
"Nuh uh!," Gabriel said like an infant. "Ramen! Spicy!"
"Open. Your. Mouth," Vignette growled, leaning closer to her.
"No! You first!"
Vignette rolled her eyes and let some green food paste droop into her open mouth, and immediately spat it out. It tasted bitter. Far too bitter.
"URRGH!," she hurled, spitting out any remaining paste on her tongue. "What in God's name?!"
"So I say again. No! I want ramen!," Gabriel huffed, crossing her arms.
"Gab...you have to eat this...doc said so," Vignette said, now sympathizing with Gabriel a little more.
"I'd rather starve."
Vignette took the tube and emptied its contents into a plastic bottle of water and mixed it around. She added packets of sugar from her MRE's (meal-ready-to-eat) as well, and took a cautious swig.
"Yup," she wretched. "Still tastes like dirt."
"Gab," she sighed, walking over to the scared loli. "I'm sorry about this."
"V-V-Vignette! No!"
Gabriel tried to push and fight back against the demon girl, but she was taller and had more muscle mass, meaning she could pin her whole body down with just her knee. She obviously made sure not to damage her stiches while she kept her teeth apart with her left fingers and poured the slimy liquid with her right. She waited for her to swallow the goop before pouring in anymore, to make sure that she doesn't choke. After about a minute of this, Vignette had finally poured the last bits of green water into her mouth, and she let her go.
"Urgh...! Jesus...Christ...Vignette! You...wretched...!," Gabriel gasped, reaching inside a drawer.
"I'm sorry Gab. Had to be-"
Suddenly, she was pounced on by Gabriel, who was holding another tube above Vignette's face, trying to get her to open her mouth. Vignette shrieked as she moved her head side to side, trying to avoid the putrid green goop from falling into her mouth.
"Hold..! Still!," Gabriel cackled as streaks of food paste got onto Vignette's cheek.
"Gabriel White! I swear to God!," she screamed, struggling to get Gabriel's knee off her chest.
"Holy retribution!"
"I'm sorry! I'M SORRY GABRIEL! NOW LET ME GO!"
"PAY FOR YOUR SINS-"
"OOOI!," Dr Sechnov hollered, barging into the room. "YOU SHUT UP!"
He muttered obscenities under his breath as he stomped away, and Vignette shoved Gabriel off of her.
"Look at what you did. You got us into trouble," Vignette muttered, flicking paste onto the irritated blonde.
"You started it," Gabriel retaliated, wiping food paste off her cheek.
"Are you five years old now?"
"Five year olds don't have to eat that crap."
"Right, right- you're welcome, by the way."
"Be quiet Vigne. I am not welcome."
"Yes you are. I can hear your intestines thanking me."
"Oh can you now? I can hear it committing suicide right now."
"Don't be such a cry baby. I added sugar!"
"Says the one who was shrieking like she was getting murdered when the paste touched your cheek!"
"I-I-I was not shrieking!"
"Wanna find out?," Gabriel said mischievously, holding the half-empty tube.
"No. But only because you shouldn't waste food!"
"Mhm. Mhm. Sure. Cry baby. I'm going to play my MMO now," Gabriel said in a sarcastic tone as she dived under her covers with her laptop.
Vignette huffed, and got out of bed to eat her breakfast. She planned on eating an MRE, but felt bad for the injured loli who probably had a bitter taste in her mouth, so she boiled some water. After it was done, she poured it into an instant noodle cup she found on the top shelf, so it was harder for Gabriel to devour it.
Gabriel slowly peeked over her bedsheets, sniffing the air like a cat. She saw that Vignette was staring right at her, holding a steaming instant noodle cup.
"Yes! Yes, yes, a million times yes!," Gabriel sang, throwing the covers off her and running over to Vignette's bed. The demon lifted the cup in the air out of Gab's reach.
"Just one bite. Understand?," Vignette commanded, trying to regain a sense of authority over the girl.
"Yup! Just one bite!"
"Why does she sound like a little kid...she's so cute!"
Vignette lowered the cup to Gabriel's grinning face, and slowly pulled out some noodles with her chopsticks when...
"*SMOOCH!*"
Gabriel swiftly gave a short kiss to Vignette's left cheek, and used her confusion to swipe the cup of noodles out of her hand. She ran to the other end of the room, careful not to spill a drop, all the while Vignette was left frozen holding chopsticks in the air. Her eyes were wide open in shock and she couldn't help but let the blood rush to her cheeks.
"G-Gab!," Vignette exclaimed, shaking herself awake. "Come back here!"
"Stay back! Or else next one's to the lips!," Gabriel giggled loudly as she inhaled the smell of ramen.
"What...are you even...talking about...?," Vignette babbled somewhat drunk with happiness. She stumbled over to the cheeky girl and surprisingly, Gabriel didn't fight when Vignette took the cup into her hands.
"Just one bite...?," Gabriel asked with a faint blush. She looked up at Vignette with puppy-dog eyes.
"Oh...my...God! She is so CUTE!"
"I...well...Ahem!...just one bite."
Gabriel tucked her long hair behind her ear and slurped up the noodles dangling off the chopsticks, and Vignette suddenly felt incredible warmth in her chest. She felt as if she wanted to hug the small girl, and continue feeding her whatever makes her squeal and smile as she did right now.
"Ahh...that brings back the old days...," she sighed. "Thanks Vignette."
"You're...not gonna ask for another?"
"Huh? What happened to just one bite?"
"I half-expected you to tackle me to the floor and devour this whole cup."
"Who do you take me for...some kind of...I dunno...house pet or something?"
"Exactly like a house pet. A very cute one."
Gabriel let out a small laugh and went back to her laptop.
"Come on, finish that quick so we can play some two-player games."
AN: By the way, Japan's enemy in this universe are the communist countries, China, Russia, etc. Japan was allied with the US so they're immediately their enemies.