Author's Notes:
Shit, looks like I'm going to be focusing on this fic instead of my AK fic for now. Who knew throwing angels in Vietnam would be interesting. In any case, we're just continuing the first contact scene for now.
Chapter 2: For Angelic Beings
"War does not determine who's right – only who's left." – Bertrand Russell
"W-what even are you?" Jordan pointed his finger in fear at the strange girl in front of him.
The same strange girl cradling Brandon a while ago.
The same girl who saved them just moments ago.
She was not human, that much is true, and Jordan was not a religious man, but what was in front of him…it made him question everything.
In fact, he may have immediately converted back to Christianity at this point.
It's an angel, probably. Or is it an elaborate communist trick…nah impossible. Or perhaps it's a fake angel?
No, it can't be…she already did the impossible.
"But why now? This war has been going on for years, why did god send angels just now?"
But those are pointless questions now. He realizes this when B52 bombers began carpet bombing PAVN positions up north.
They were still in combat, no point in thinking about philosophical questions.
Perhaps he can use her to fight. He immediately mentally slapped himself.
"Stop with that shit Jordan!"
Even if she is an angel or whatever superhuman, a kid like her has no business being in this hell. He has to get her out of here.
"Hell, she looks like she's at the same age as my little sister at school."
Jordan recomposed himself and spoke to her after bombs dropped in the distance, "Miss, you need to come with us and evacuate yourself…this is not exactly a safe place…we assure you, we can get you to safety, we can't just leave a kid like you in an active combat zone, so please follow us."
Serika was taken aback by the soldier's statement.
"They care about me…a student…about my safety first? When these adults can literally die to gunfire?"
Just then a familiar voice shouted behind her.
"SERIKA!" Jordan was alerted as another girl appeared out of nowhere from the jungle, going behind the first strange girl.
The marines responded by aiming their guns at both girls, just as another squad of marines arrived to reinforce them.
"Shiroko?" Serika asked in surprise as she turned to see Shiroko arrive. "You're here too?"
"I don't know, I just woke up and I'm here…uhh, Serika who are these guys?! A-and where are we?" She asked as she aimed her gun at them too, just as artillery fire thundered in the distance.
"I have no idea," Serika replied uncomfortably.
In the Marine line, a medic rushed to the 2 injured Marines, before the leader of the other squad, Sergeant Dennis Lee moved towards Sergeant Jordan.
"Jordan who the hell are these lasses? And why are they armed with…wait a minute is that a fucking halo on top of their heads? And animal ears?" The sergeant asked, bewildered as the second group of Marines aimed their guns at the girls in a defensive manner.
"I-I don't know, all we know is that they're definitely not human and she just singlehandedly wiped out like half of a PAVN platoon. That girl was not even affected by their gunfire." Jordan replied before looking at his men aiming their guns at the girls in a tense way.
"What?" Dennis looked at the mass of dead and wounded PAVN soldiers, some of them still staring at one of the girls in fear, the same girl that is currently aiming at…wait at him?
He gave her a cold glare saying 'I fucking warn you, put that shit down!' in response.
But the little shit didn't even flinch!
He was pissed.
"Alright lasses, put your guns down!" Dennis ordered her as he aimed his gun at the teen who dared to aim his gun at him.
Serika frowned at the adult, "And why should we do that!? W-we're not even sure if we can trust you!"
Once again they were stuck in an awkward Mexican standoff, except for the fact that the 2 young girls will win 100% of the time if any dumbass ever pulls the trigger.
All while multiple PAVN soldiers still bleeding to death watched the almost comedic scene in front of them.
A bunch of Americans is scared shitless of 2 kids. To be fair they are also scared shitless while bleeding to death.
What a way to go.
Jordan, sensing the deteriorating situation and knowing that they're definitely going to end up like those PAVN soldiers if someone does something stupid spoke.
"…Alright let's all calm folks, we all know what happened to those NVA soldiers…plus would any of you boys want to open fire on angels and anger god anyways?"
Then one of his Marines, Alex, another one of his itchy-fingered retard who may or may not have committed more than ten "collateral damage" in his service in Nam decided to speak.
"Uhh, I don't know sir, but considering what I did here in Nam, I doubt god likes me anyways. Shooting or not shooting his messenger won't change jackshit for me anyways."
He turned to Alex and gave him a cold glare that said 'SHUT THE FUCK UP' which immediately worked as the Marine flinched and silenced himself.
Dennis on the other hand was having none of it, "What the hell even is this angel nonsense?"
He scoffed, "Miss put your fucking guns down and cooperate, let's not make this hard for everyone, we are literally in an active combat zone, we will evacuate you out of here, just cooperate."
"Alright," Jordan spoke. "How about this? I count in three and we all put down our guns, then we talk this out, then we wait for the Air Cav and get us out of here?"
The Marines looked at each other, before nodding at the sound plan. Serika looked at Shiroko, who simply nodded. She simply nodded as well.
Alex nodded, "Alright."
"3"
"2"
"1"
Everyone lowered their guns.
"See, wasn't so hard," Jordan internally celebrated. At least his men and comrades won't be mowed down by the angel girls.
"Alright boys form a perimeter around here, Air Cav will evac us, Camp Carroll is a lost cause, and we're in full retreat now," Dennis ordered at his men, who simply looked grim.
Another defeat.
The marines began setting up their positions around the area, just as gunfire and artillery intensified south of them.
"Fucking Charlie is on an all-out attack Sarge! All units are evacuating Camp Carroll, Air Cav is ETA-10 Minutes for us!" Their radio operator, Jimmy reported.
"Alright-" Jordan began before being cut off.
"We still don't know who you all are," Serika interjected coldly at the Sergeant, Jordan simply turned while Dennis raised his eyebrow at the girls.
"Oh…yeah, sorry we started on the wrong foot…but that's just to be expected in war," Jordan replied apologetically. Serika and Shiroko's eyes widened.
"They're at war?" Both thought.
"Anyways, I'm Sergeant James Jordan, this man is Sergeant Dennis Lee, we're both part of Angel Company of the United States Marine Corp, so…who and what exactly are you both?" he asked.
"Where are we first?" Serika demanded. She does not trust this random adult.
"Alright, what a brat," Jordan thought.
"You're in Vietnam, specifically Quang Tri, I assume as an angel you should know where the hell you are."
"Vietnam? Hmm…never heard of it." Now Jordan was surprised.
"Wait a minute what do you mean you never heard of it?" Jordan asked.
"Everyone knows about the Vietnam War, and I'm pretty sure the millions of dead would inform those upstairs about our shenanigans down here."
Before Serika could respond, Shiroko asked her something nervously, "S-Serika what are those…corpses and wounded men doing over there?"
Serika turned to Shiroko, who was fearfully pointing her finger at the PAVN troops she mowed down minutes ago. Serika simply froze.
"Uhh…Shiroko they-"
"CONTACT 9 O'CLOCK!" A soldier near Shiroko shouted, before a bullet slammed into the man's head, spraying Shiroko with his blood.
Her eyes widened in shock at the scene and she simply froze as she watched the man drop down in a gory death near her.
Serika barely had time to react as another soldier dropped from a bullet in front of both of them. Even with her experience a while ago, she was still shocked by it. Unknowingly to both of them, they were hit by 7.62 bursts in their stupor.
Dennis rushed to both of the girls as he watched rounds bounce off them, pouncing he pushed both down away from danger, as gunfire zoomed around them.
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU BOTH DOING?" Dennis roared in rage as he rushed both of the frightened girls to cover.
"STAY HERE UNTIL IT'S SAFE!" Dennis ordered as he moved back towards his men. The marines at this point responded dearly with gunfire.
The PAVN troops attacked, and almost another platoon rushed to assault them, but the Marines held the line.
Shiroko sneakily and nervously peeked over to watch the fight, while Serika was hyperventilating beside her. Over there the Marines fought with all their might, as she watched the other soldiers, presumably their enemies charge in manically.
Serika steeled herself, before pulling Shiroko and speaking at her, "We have to do something."
"W-why are they fighting?" Shiroko nervously asked.
"I-I don't know, but we have to help them…look, their…they're protecting us," Serika said, as they both watched the Marines fight in front of them.
Shiroko flinched in fear as she saw one of the marines get shot and drop to the ground, all while his comrades desperately returned fire. But the NVA soldiers were quickly approaching.
…
"SARGE CAN WE PLEASE LET THE GIRLS FIGHT?" Jimmy the radio man calmly asked.
"NO JIMMY, WE ALREADY DID ENOUGH WAR CRIMES HERE, AND IF ANGELS EXIST I DON'T WANT TO DO ANY MORE OF IT!" Jordan responded while desperately returning fire.
"If I'd die I would rather die without employing child soldiers, especially angel child soldiers, I presume god won't be very pleased to me upstairs if I ever do that."
"HOW FAR AWAY IS THE AIR CAV?" Jordan asked as another soldier in the 2nd Squad got shot, their injured and dead were now growing.
"ETA-3 MINUTES," the radio man responded, before firing off his M16 at the charging PAVN troops as well.
Dennis on the other hand pulled a grenade pin, and threw it at the charging PAVN troops, in seconds an explosion occurred in their lines.
Then, a grenade landed in one of the positions of the 2nd squad of marines. One of the marines immediately took the grenade to throw it back, but it explodes in his arms.
The marine dropped down dead, with some parts of his arms and blood showering the position of both Shiroko and Serika.
Shiroko snapped herself out of her shocked state at the man who exploded. Around her, these adults defended both of them, sacrificing their blood and lives.
Even when both of them knew they won't be in any danger.
"I-I have to do something!"
Enough was enough.
Taking out her rifle, she peeks from her cover and aimed at one PAVN soldier she spotted.
She hesitated to take a life.
And a Marine paid for it. The PAVN soldier pulled the trigger on another unfortunate marine caught in the open, peppering him with bullets.
Shiroko was enraged at this, and so pulled the trigger herself.
And took her first life.
Serika joined in the fight as well, and both began helping in the defense.
The demoralized and pinned marines noticed this, especially the PAVN, who returned fire at both Shiroko and Serika.
Sergeant Dennis and the Angel 1-2 squad watched these "angels" join in, and saw the incredible feat of both girls shrugging off bullets.
One of the Marines stared at both girls in shock, as they began showing their superhuman feats.
"S-s-sarge, d-did they just…" Dennis, noticed how shocked, confused, and demoralized his boys were.
But if they do have 2 angels on their side, he can turn this morale issue around.
The PAVN troops charged as Dennis roared.
"YES THEY DID! NOW, ARE YOU ALL GONNA LET 2 TEENAGE ANGELS BEST YOU AT FIGHTING? NO OFF COURSE NOT! AM I RIGHT?"
"NO SARGE!" came the response.
"THEN FIGHT BACK HARD! Oorah?"
"OORAH!"
The Marines cheered in agreement and yelled their war cries, and then all of them returned fire at the charging PAVN forces.
"Hostiles 7 o'clock!"
"Put down those fucking Charlies in the left flank!"
"GET SUM MOTHERFUCKERS!"
The Marines and angels intensified their gunfire, but the PAVN attack was unrelenting.
Around them, the Battlefield continued to intensify, as artillery rained on Camp Carroll down south.
Bombs rained kilometers in the PAVN frontline, courtesy of American B52s, while both Serika and Shiroko continued firing off on the PAVN, occasionally taking shots from them, but it was a mere annoyance.
These "Marines" sacrificed their lives for them.
And many of them are wounded, they have to hold till help arrived.
They were going to help protect them.
Shiroko felt numb at taking dozens of lives in cold efficiency, but, those men dared to attack both her and Serika.
And they killed and injured these marines.
More and more PAVN soldiers arrived. Jordan ducked down in cover to slap a new mag in his M16, just in time to see Serika emit those blue light thing again, and magically instantly reload her gun.
A marine near him had his mouth drop in amazement.
Dennis on the other hand grinned, "Definitely angels."
The soldier near him had his spirits go up, "Yeah I guess Sarge, perhaps we have a chance in this one."
Both Marines went back to fighting. The American line's gunfire began pinning the PAVN horde, who was now getting demoralized from the unending barrage from the 2 angel-like being that they couldn't kill.
Shiroko then looked to Serika, and to the injured marines.
In front of them, more and more PAVN troops arrived, but couldn't get close.
Then Serika emitted a blue fire-like thing around her, while Shiroko summoned her drone.
The Marines in front watched in amazement as Shiroko magically summoned a boxy drone out of nowhere.
"What the hell is that?" Both Dennis and Jordan thought.
Then Serika pulled the trigger, just in time for the flying drone to fire a barrage of missiles.
The PAVN troops were completely routed seconds later.
…
As Shiroko's adrenaline wore off, she sat beside Serika and watched the PAVN corpses near them.
The Marines on the other hand kept themselves alert, as they tended to their wounded.
None spoke between each other, the silence between everyone already sending a clear message on what everyone had in their minds.
"What the fuck just happened?"
Soon, the chopping noises of the Hueys arrived. Both Serika and Shiroko watched the men load their wounded and dead at the helicopters in silence.
Jordan watched both of the strange girls, both of them stared at the helicopters in a thousand-yard stare.
"They've been mindfucked." Sighing deeply he moved towards both of the girls, but they didn't even notice him.
Breaking the ice, he spoke, "So…I suppose you are Serika…and you are Shiroko?"
Both of them simply nodded at him. Jordan hummed then smiled to reassure them, "Nice names…don't worry, we'll get you out of here."
"Why did you all protect us?" Serika asked weakly. "Why did you all put your lives on the line for us?"
Jordan understood this, since they both were basically invincible, at least according to their last engagement, they are probably both blaming themselves for the deaths and injuries of some of his men to defend them.
Guilt.
Jordan looked at the sky, "Because it's our job as marines, to protect the innocent, civilians, we don't care if you are some invincible angel or whatever, kids like you shouldn't be put in danger."
"Yet we draft kids and send them to war."
"I-it was pointless," Shiroko muttered as she looked at the ground.
"Plus we were defending ourselves as well from the enemy, so don't worry too much about it," Jordan added to further reassure them. "Anyways, let's get out of here, alright?"
Both simply nodded in agreement.
"Alright, follow me," both Serika and Shiroko stood up and followed him towards one of the Hueys.
Soon both entered and sat inside. In a few more moments the other soldiers hopped in including Jordan.
"Alright hold tight ladies…" the Pilot announced as the helicopter began ascending.
It was practically silent inside as the helicopter rose and moved forward.
No one wanted to speak.
The Marines, while grateful for the girls, were still wary and confused.
Both Serika and Shiroko on the other hand were too confused at everything that just happened and is still processing everything.
The only sound everyone can hear is the chopping noise, heavy artillery, gunfire in the distance, rockets firing, and the orchestra of war.
So not completely silent.
The pilot, noticing this tense silence, especially the 2 angels with futuristic guns, who looked absolutely miserable, decided to turn on the radio to cheer up everyone.
A sound of a cheerful and energetic voice entered Serika's ears.
"And now we have another one coming in– Bad Moon Rising by CCR! Stay safe down there folks!"
The cheerful tone began playing, lowering the tense atmosphere inside the aircraft.
As the song continued, Serika and Shiroko listened intently to the music. The tune was pretty calming.
But the lyrics weren't, almost as if it was warning both of them about the world they are entering.
Still, Shiroko soon bobbed her head a bit to enjoy it. While some of the marines sang along to the music as the helicopters flew on the horizon.
One Marine looked at Serika, finally mustering his courage, he spoke.
"Uhh…so, Serika and Shiroko, that's your names right?"
Serika was cut from her thoughts, and looked at the Marine.
"…Y-yes," she replied, shyly.
"Thank you…you both saved our collective asses down there. No shitting." The Marine gave both a thankful smile.
"I-it was nothing, p-plus it's not like-"
"Stop, you both did well, and we're all thankful for that." The other Marines watching the exchange simply nodded in agreement.
Both Shiroko and Serika found no reply, except for one.
"T-thank you all I guess…" Serika replied, giving a faint smile at them, before looking down.
"Hey, don't sulk down, we won and we're safe…oh and I'm Mike by the way." The Marine spoke while smiling warmly at both teens.
They saved their asses afterall.
Serika's mood was slightly lifted, as she raised her head once again, and she decided to simply listen to the music...and temporarily forget about what happened.
As the music ended, another announcement sounded.
"And for the next song for our boys down there – I fought the Law by the Bobby Fuller Four!"
"Whooo! Finally! My favorite!" Jimmy the radio man cheered.
The song played on, while Shiroko simply listened to the song.
Slowly her face turned red as she realized what the song was about. Soon she buried her face in her hands as Serika giggled at her expense while listening to the song.
The Marines raised a curious eyebrow at the duo, not understanding anything, but in the end, they relaxed as the mood lightened a bit.
Jordan smiled as he looked at the two. It was but a small respite for them.
But a respite from the nightmares nonetheless.
Author's Notes:
No, the marines cannot find out that these angels are a bunch of bank robbers alright. Ok actually now that I think about it that might be pretty funny. Also about your suggestions BelianaEmpire, I might add both Hifumi and Koharu soon, I'm still unsure how I would make it so they won't just completely break completely from the start and the rest of the fic, about the others, I'm not sure but I won't be adding much. We can't have too much angels here. And about famous historical figures in Vietnam as suggested by CrappyIdiot, you have to remember this is 1972, so I guess I can't add Roy, I think he was too injured to fight. Adrian Cronauer, well there you go (radio music guy in helicopter, probably a good morning Vietnam in the base in the next chapters?) and Larry Thorn, perhaps he could be an advisor to ARVN?
Well, that's about it really. Hope you enjoyed this one tale from the Rice Fields. Rapid Intervention out.
