Along with the ever vigilant Jean/Rico fratello, another team that would help to represent Section Two in this Section One centered mission was a pair of new recruits. According the reports in Guilio's hands, within the first month of their initiation within the SWA, they've completed every assigned outing without a single mishap; which may seem like a small feat to a normal person, but a miracle to anyone who knows how things in the Agency works. Recommended by Mrs. Petrice herself, Guilio could not refuse their gracious offer to fill the open fratello team position.
Their demeanor struck Guilio as an odd one, though. A curious sight; the young blonde girl's near lapis lazuli-like eyes gleamed with no emotion, but with only a hint of eagerness. The young man, however, could have easily blended within the ranks of Section One's men; not that any one of the other handler's could have done the same if they tried, but this particular man was playing the part to a tee. He was not as stern in his appearance as, say, Jean or Chief Lorenzo, and he also carried an air of a carefree attitude; something Guilio treasured, though he himself rarely displaced such an aura.
For security reasons, Guilio was seated against the window in the very back of the airplane cabin to prevent anyone who happens to know who he is from simply walking by and discreetly assassinating the Chief. To his left sat the new girl, followed by her handler (being that their seats were located in first class, they had plenty of personal space). The flight from Rome to Bolzano would only take a few hours, but the old man decided to sink into his leather seat and relax during the flight. A pair of personal headphones, a pillow, and eye shades would help ease him into a short power nap. Settling further into his seat, he couldn't help but notice the girl beside him keeping firm statuesque posture, rather than the stereotypical nervousness he was accustomed to seeing in a child.
"Aren't you nervous?" The pressure of his growing curiosity finally relieved though his mouth.
"No."
He pressed on, "I was nervous during my first flight. Then again, the first flight I ever took was in one of those old propeller powered airplanes. Wouldn't that make you even more nervous? Knowing that there weren't any safety computer systems in the engines?"
"I wouldn't know."
"Well, I can honestly say I was shaking harder than the engines themselves!"
This time there was no response from the girl. It seemed as though her handler paid no heed to their conversation, so Guilio continued.
"What's your name, young lady?"
"Elsa," She answered, "Elsa de Sica."
"Beautiful name you have there."
"Thank you."
"Have you even been to Bolzano?"
"No."
"It's a beautiful city. Your appearance reminds me of the people there. A good portion of their population is made up of Nordic people, so it's not surprising to see lot's of light haired men and women. It also happens to be one of the few places I've lived in before; I stayed there for a few years before moving down here…. Bolzano's a beautiful city… Sometimes I wish I've never left it, so many years ago…"
"Oh."
Guilio chuckled to himself at her responses, noting that all of her answers seemed to be static, almost pre-programmed. Taking another note was the fact that she still did not shudder at the sudden amount of noise and movement; the sudden change in the angle of their seats. It was almost as if the girl were a robot.
He corrected himself with a laugh, "Cyborgs."
The Ghosts of Rome
A Gunslinger Girl fan fiction by:
Sintendo
Chapter 3
During World War II, the mostly German speaking region of South Tyrol – where Bolzano is located - was given a choice: Stay and Italy and assimilate into the Fascist Italian Government, or migrate back to their Nordic homelands. This was known as the "Opzione" or "The Option". As the war progressed, more than 80 of South Tyrol's residents trekked northward and returned to their respective motherlands. Afterwards, when Fascist Italy collapsed, less than a third of 75,000 or some odd number of people returned to South Tyrol. Even though the majority of South Tyroleans – including Bolzanini – speak Italian, it was still good to know German; most signs were written in both languages, but there were many that were written in German only. Luckily for Guilio, German was his second language.
The visiting Roman agents were at home in Bolzano. The majority of the streets were paved with cobblestone, alleyways were narrow, and buildings were as ancient as anything Rome could offer. However, there was an air about them that hinted at a flavor of the old Deutschland. Decorations and ornaments were strictly German and Austrian in design. Fashions were almost as if they were from another country. Even the Italian accents of the locals were a bit odd (one man commented on how he loved Jean's Southern accent). But all-in-all addresses were easy to find and it would only be a matter of minutes before the entire team (consisting of a half dozen Section One operatives, 2 pairs of Fratello, and Guilio) found themselves unpacking in the decently sized loft other agents prepared beforehand.
"Rico, Elsa," Jean said, "You two go out and get familiar with the surroundings while Lauro and I unpack. We're going to be here for a few weeks, so I want you two to memorize each and every street, alley, and building; find good escape routes, hiding places, and other things like that. These R.F. fanatics are everywhere and we don't know what'll happen when they show up, so be prepared."
"I'll escort them around town." Guilio said.
"It's alright, Chief Draghi," Jean said, "Remember, they're cyborgs. They can handle themselves."
Guilio cleared his throat, "You say that the R.F. is around here?"
"Yes they are."
"Well, according to the mission briefing, they are developing something similar to your girls. If they have that technology and information, won't a pair of new faces wandering about stick out like an apple in an onion bin?"
"Well…"
Guilio reassured the man, "You may not know it, but this was my hometown for more than two decades; I know this area well."
"…Ok. Do as you wish."
"You be good now, ok Elsa?" It was the first time Guilio heard Lauro speak.
Guilio nodded, and then said to the girls, "Shall we?"
He exited the room after the young ladies did; like a gentleman.
With no destination in particular, Guilio lead the pair to and fro; trying to inconspicuously sneak in a portion or two of the flavor of the city so that they would understand the rich culture of his hometown, rather than study it.
This behavior, he noticed, was very unlike him. Oftentimes he'd find himself not caring either way how the cyborgs were treated back at the Agency, but now he finds himself allowing them to sample the local delicacies of sweet desserts and candies and even holding their hands as they crossed busy roads (At first, Elsa was disgusted at the thought of touching Guilio's hand, but then became accustomed to it to the point that she took his hand before they reached a curb. Rico didn't mind at all, however).
It was only when they came upon a group of medieval styled houses that the old man realized why he was so comfortable being around a pair of ungodly chimeras. The building that he had in particular stood out above the crown only in his eyes; its plain exterior was noticeable to him from even a mile away. Other than the gigantic family sign that hung above the door way, nothing helped to accent the building and help it seem unique.
"Waldmann." Rico read the two-tone wood sign, "Do you know them?"
"Yes I do," Guilio sighed, "They're family."
"Did you plan on visiting them?"
"Actually, no."
Contradicting his own statements, Guilio operated the brass door-knocker. The light tapping of the mechanism echoed in his ears louder than the idle street noise from behind; causing him to shudder a bit before straightening himself out once the door slowly opened.
An elderly woman stepped from behind the door to greet the trio; not only with a smile but with a hearty laugh.
"Guilio! I didn't know you were back!"
"It's has been a while, hasn't it mother? Beautiful as always, I see."
After a brief exchange of hugs and kisses, the woman invited them in and served the usual fare of tea, cakes and cookies.
And then things were discussed between the adults. The cyborgs could do nothing but sit and enjoy their snacks (which Elsa concluded to be quite delicious). It was the first time she was able to sit and enjoy homemade sweets, so she kept to her emotionless-self; the conversation – which consisted of current affairs of each adult – didn't interest her anyways. The same could be said for Rico, though she didn't know what the adults were speaking of at all; a small portion of it caught her fancy, however.
"So things have been going smoothly in Rome, I take it?" The Woman asked.
"Yes, very." Guilio responded.
"Have you been… seeing other women?"
Guilio spat out his tea at the sudden question, "Of course not, mother."
"Guilio," She took his hand, "You stated in your wedding vows 'Till death do we part'. You no longer need to call me that."
"Mothe-"
"Ah ah." She waved a finger at his nose.
He smiled, "You're as stubborn as always, Clara."
"It's been 10 years, Guilio."
"I know."
After this, Rico settled into the couch she shared with Elsa. If Guilio was anything like Jean, it would be a while before they would have to get up again.