Strike Witches
The Winged Chronicles
Loss
Both Mio and Griffin shocked from the sound of the horn warning them of a Neuroi attack, Mio look's at Griffin and says "Griffin" in a stern voice, Griffin faces Mio and says " Yes" Mio says "Move out" with a smile Griffin open's the window and jump's out. Shocked Mio runs to the window, with a few metallic clicks and a thruster blast Griffin flies right able the ground and blasts towards the hangar. As Griffin reaches the hangar he can hear the voices of the other girls preparing to head out. Griffin flies into the hangar and with a 'puuft' and a metallic slam to the ground Griffin hit's the ground and walks to his bench and picks up his gun and ammo pack.
Many of the girls stare at Griffin wondering what to do until Mina walking past the girls pointing to the open runway yells "Don't just stand around, Move out!" The rest of the girls snap out of their inner daze and start to move out. The girls and Griffin head to the end of the hangar and they start their engine's except Griffin. The girls start to move down the landing strip and Griffin started to follow behind Mina running, most of the girls shocked just continued to take off. Mina takes off and starts to ascend and rest of the girls do the same Griffin runs down the pad until he reaches the end and he jumps off the edge. The girl's shocked watch in anticipation, Griffin with a click and a blast changes his legs and flies up and join's the girls. Mina yells "Intel reports that there are 5 Neuroi heading this way" Yoshika says "what, we never had that many come before" Griffin says " No, most of them attacked the United States before they went to you" Yoshika embarrassed says "I'm sorry" Griffin replies "no need to apologize it's not your fault, it's the Neuroi's" Mina says " enough on the chit chat the formations are as followed, Shirley and Lucchini are in group one, Lucchini smiles and says "he he". Group two is Barkhorn and Erica, group three is "Perrine and Miyafugi and myself", Lynette nervously looks towards Griffin as Mina says "Griffin and Lynette you group four, provide ranged support for him Bishop, understand?" Lynette surprised says in a choppy voice "yes sir", Lynette still a little scared of Griffin slowly heads closer to Griffin. Griffin in a blank voice says "Mina," as Mina turn's towards him "take Bishop and yourself and make the fourth team" confused Mina asks "what about yourself?" Griffin answers "I will take the fifth Neuroi by myself". Many of the girls shocked Mina sternly says "what makes you think I should allow that?" Griffin responds " I have more experience fighting the Neuroi by myself than any other one here" "very well" Mina responds. Mina turn's to Lynette and says "I still want you to watch his back" Lynette shakes her head and the group readies their position.
Un phased with Mina's orders Griffin continues to fly straight without seriously looking at Lynette, but Lynette still a little nervous having to watch his back, Lynette stay's near Griffin but she keeps her distance. As the group approaches the Neuroi group Mina yells "enemy sighted break into formations" as the groups break apart Griffin doesn't't move very far from his original position, Lynette in a low voice says "umm, are we moving into position?" Griffin replies "we are, support me from the back, stay out of range of their weapons remember that your Mina's support first, I got this" as Griffin lowers in altitude, bend's his knees and with a loud blast he soar's towards the Neuroi battalion. Everyone shocked what Griffin just did the rest increased their speed to try to catch up. As Griffin approaches the five Neuroi all five fire their weapon's at him, from the view of the girl's hey just see five black disks firing at a glowing yellowish dot. As Griffin approaches the Neuroi ten laser blasts are heading towards him, Griffin activates his shields and deflects four of them and he drops in altitude and dodges the other six. Griffin removes the safety from his gun and starts to rotate his shields around his body and starts to fire at the First Neuroi. The sound of gunfire and flashes of red and blue light made Lynette worry if Griffin will be ok. Griffin charges the first Neuroi and fires his Gatling gun at it, the screech of the Neuroi getting hit could be heard for miles. The Neuroi in retaliation with no respect for each other fire at Griffin who is right next to a Neuroi, Griffin blasts down and dodges the blast while the Neuroi get's the blunt of the fire. The Neuroi again screeches and Griffin aims above him and fires at the belly of the Neuroi, the gun fire rips a hole inside the Neuroi, Griffin seeing an opening bursts towards the Neuroi and aims his gun at the exposed belly of the Neuroi. With Griffins gun firing Griffin ruptures an opening right into the core of the Neuroi. The Neuroi in retaliation fires five laser blasts at him in close range, Griffin expecting this smirks and raises his left hand and five shields appear and block the Neuroi attack. Surprising him another blast coming right from the side wing right in Griffins blind spot, takes him off guard and hit his weapon directly. Griffin instantly releases the weapon and lets it drop a few seconds later it explodes. Griffin with no weapon see's the exposed core and charges for it and grab's the core with his left hand. Griffin squeezes the core in his hand and it shatters, the core is destroyed, with another shriek the Neuroi explodes into a thousand pieces. Griffin now surrounded by thousands of little shards twinkling around him, Griffin look's at the palm of his hand and sees a two inch crystal in his hand. Griffin puts it in his pocket and throws his hands to his side and with his palm's out ten shields appear and start to surround him and rotate around his body.
Mina and the rest of the girls are scrambling to catch up finally reach Griffin as he single handily finishes the first Neuroi. Shocked Lynette enthusiastic hurries to catch up to Griffin with and congratulate him. Griffin turns and see's her approaching and with a shocked look he instantly holds out his left hand at her and she stops in confusion, Griffin yells "Watch out!" as a beam comes from the clouds. With a frightened look on her face she cringes, screams and closes her eyes bracing for impact. A few seconds later L:ynette look's up and see's a two foot shield hovering above her, shocked she looks towards Griffin, Lynette sees Griffin with an exhausted look combined with relief that he made it in time. Griffin looks at Lynette and with a smile, in that instant another blast come from the clouds and struck Griffin's left arm/hand. Lynette screams and all the girls look over. With an explosion and beam of energy from where his Left hand and forearm were Griffin closes his eyes and starts to fall, Mina yells "Griffin" as do other girls do. Griffin awakes and with a blast from his thrusters he steadies himself and regain's altitude. Shocked Mina races towards Griffin expecting the worst, as she approaches she notices that there isn't any blood falling from where Griffin is. Mina approaches Griffin's front and remembers that Griffin always wears a glove over half his arm, Mina look's at Griffins hand and she sees wires and pieces of metal falling from what was once his hand. Shocked Mina tries to touch his arm, Griffin pulls his arm away and says " I'm fine, were still in combat" as Griffin flies off with Lynette shocked she drops her gun and starts to cry, Yoshika hurries towards her and says " Lynette are you hurt?" Lynette shakes her head, Lynette raises her head with tears in her eyes she says "It's my fault Griffin got hurt, its mine" as Lynette grab's Yoshika's shoulders and starts to cry harder. Yoshika unknowing what to do she just embraces her and says "Griffin is ok; he's right above you fighting still" as Yoshika rubs her back.
After a few more minutes the rest of the Witches finish off the remaining Neuroi and Mina yells "everyone return to base" Yoshika look's towards Lynette and says "come on Lynette, it's time to go" as she help's Lynette flay back towards the base. No one talks on the way back; most of the girls just stare at this metallic, organic mess that was a hand. The group makes it back to the hangar at the base with a medic team waiting with two stretchers. Griffin and the girls land, the medic team takes Lynette inside for her distress the second team approaches Griffin and the doctor says " Griffin please come with us, your injured" Griffin raises his left arm and looks at it with disappointment and says " I'm fine you don't need to bother yourself with me. " The doctor concerned says in a panicky voice "you must you were hit by the Neuroi" Griffin a little annoyed replies "my arm was hit, I'll just replace it, nothing to worry about, it's just a robotic hand". The doctor turns to Mina, Mina nods her head telling him that it's ok, the doctor and nurse wheel the stretcher away and Griffin takes off his ammo backpack and walks out the hangar and back into the main base. During this many of the girls are confused why Griffin refused the doctors help and Perrine says " Humph if he's that stupid to accept help then let him stay hurt" as she walks out the hangar, Shirley says " he's hiding something", Lucchini folding her arm's over her head replies " maybe".
Griffin walks into his room and closes the door, he approaches the bed and reaches underneath it and pulls out a large metallic suitcase. Griffin open's it and inside are two large tube like things wrapped in cloth and two smaller items also wrapped in cloth, Griffin takes the two smaller pieces of cloth and takes them to his desk. Griffin opens one of the pieces of cloth to reveal a metallic hand, Griffin takes the metal on his left forearm and twists it and removes it. Griffin places it on his deck and takes the new hand and attaches a few wires and puts the arm in the socket and rotates it into place, after a few seconds Griffin puts the final twist on and flips a tiny switch and Griffin bends and rotates the new wrist. Pleased with the new hand working he looks for a glove to cover it. Griffin opens the desk with no lock then a knock on the door. Griffin walks to the door and opens it, Lynette still a little upset asks " may I come in?" Shocked to see Lynette so soon Griffin replies certainly, Lynette instantly looks at his arm and says " Umm, I'm sorry about what happened today" Griffin walks to his desk and replies "its no problem" as Griffin holds his new hand in the air "see its fixed, no problem" Griffin says. Lynette takes a step forward with a concerning stern voice says " it's a big problem if it want for me you wouldn't of gotten hurt". Griffin looks at her and sighs with a stern voice says "why are you here, you already apologised and I accepted it, what do you want?" Lynette grasps her hands towards her chest and says with determination in her eyes says " I want you to train we in making multiple shields"