Gunslinger girl Shadows of War Ch.24: Flashbangs and Flashovers
A/N: I do not own gunslinger girl only my OCs. Any reviews will be nice
As the two lovers had started to make out Chris made out the silhouette of two grenades sailing through the air and thinking they were lethal he grabbed petra and slid her against the fake rock lining the pool and pulled a knife from his jeans and waited as his head rang and Petra yelled
"Alright who in the fuck ruined what I had planned and I swear to god if Jean or Hillshire set it up I will kill them" and having heard the threat to their handlers and deciding the joke had worn thin and Rico walked over and seeing Trice smiling put Chris in an even more pissed off tone and Katy had walked out to go for a swim not knowing her adopted brother was trying to get laid and so she was shocked to see petra naked and Chris fuming at the rest of the girls who couldn't take their eyes off the tattoos and the scars that stood out in the moonlight on his tan skin and Rico seeing the look of anger on his face was quick to throw the truth where it had to go to keep the group alive as Chris was as Elsa put it
"A fiery son of a bitch who is downright scary when he is mad" as she had pissed him off in the past and in a fit of rage he had tried to kill her earning him closer scrutiny from the Higher ups that he was in Jeans own words adding to the animosity between the two
"A hot shot who can't follow orders and puts others in danger just to save himself" and that pissed noel off to no end as she still had feeling for him but they had changed to being more of a little sister and no longer a girlfriend. As he looked at the group he made sure he was dressed still and asked petra, who was trying not to blush at the unexpected company and was still a little disoriented from the grenades concussion, quietly so only she could hear it
"Would you mind getting dressed and hand over my jacket cause it's starting to get cold and cover the holsters please" and she gave him a quiet dark smile and said to were the rest could hear it and even though Etta had heard the quieter statement she was not going to tell the others because in her words during her counseling sessions with Dr. Bianchi she felt like Chris was an older brother who she could relate to for the loss and betrayal and also as she so calmly put it
"We've been fighting for so long that we never knew peace and I'm glad that the boy has finally found peace and I doubt I will find it at all or at least not soon" so she had the sense that her brother knew what he was doing and with that Etta looked at Noel and yelled
"Hey lets go have a drink and you look like you have something on you mind" and noel just nodded and wondered how she was going to explain the inner turmoil she felt to her friend. As the two sat down Noel quickly opened up a dinner she had ordered and without skipping a beat said quietly
"Petra's boyfriend is my ex and god how I miss when he held me and the night he rescued me I thought I was dead for sure because he seemed different, more dark somehow but I still love the crazy son of a bitch" and Etta sat in silence for a minute then asked not sure if her friend was playing a joke on her on not
"No horseshit?" and all Noel would reply with was calmly
"No horseshit Wang" and Noel stared down at her drink in an awkward moment not sure what the hell to say next when Etta reached over and grabbed her hand and asked, her voice soothing and caring as all get out and reminding Noel of her big sister
"What else is bothering you and please don't say it's nothing because I can see it in your eyes that something is bothering you and I want to help" and Noel having been out of the game for so long and having been taught after her exes untimely death as she had thought of it when the navy came to her door to tell her that he was MIA presumed KIA she had resorted to drinking and guns to keep her mind on straight she stood up and turned around and her once soft voice hardened as cold as the steel of the knife she had tucked in her boot
"No one has been able to help me and the last ones who tried either died or turned against me so I'm not going down that road again ever do you hear me?!" and Etta calmed replied, her voice as hard as the granite that they were standing on
"Whatever the fuck you say and I knew the demons of our pasts would be too much and after the way you and I first acted when we came in it has been 6 goddamn years I have wanted to do this" and Noel went reaching for her pistol only to find the holster empty and she muttered
"I fucking hate slapping leather" then turned around to see Etta with the pistol jammed against her eye and the hammer thumbed back which stunned Noel that her best friend and "sister" would do that and she instantly regretted loading the baby eagle with one in the chamber packing hollow points and Noel instantly started thinking of an idea to save her friend and said
"Well sis I never knew you felt that way and I think your boyfriend would be mad if you died so think of him but I have no one who would love me" and Emma who had been listening to the whole conversation gave away her hiding spot saying
"Bullshit you have me so why don't you blow it out your ass and then meet me at the bar for a few drinks" and Noel quickly glanced around and saw that Etta was starting to falter in her suicidal thought and right on cue noel closed the gap and grabbed etta's wrist twisting the gun away landing to hard shots to etta's nose knocking her for a loop and using hand to hand combat skills that were second nature for the two they grappled and in a flurry of punches and kicks they sprawled on the floor and the writhing mass of humanity ended as Noel bit down on Etta's arm causing the gun to drop and the fur ball led to the gun going sailing along the floor. As Tea grabbed Emily by the arm and whispered trying to keep the rest of the girls in the dark
"Follow me dear and I have a sinking feeling about what is going on if Etta and noel are acting out and the rate that this is going I say a slaughter spree is way past overdue so you game?" and they both gave a smile and a fist bump before walking to their room and as they passed Katy's room they saw Chris sitting there with his head in his hands shaking and as Katy reached out to protect her brother he recoiled back in shocked and said in a way that Triela, who was carrying a dress to get washed for a dance with Keysen as Petra was doing the same not realizing that would be put off for a couple days, could understand and with tears in his eyes Chris said
"I am a worthless piece of shit and all I do is drag the unit down and Triela always has to make sure I'm ok and I feel like a burden to her and the others and wish I was dead" and as he lifted his hands to reveal the shiny metal of handcuffs and laying against the doorframe Triela knocked on the door opening it and said casually trying to look like a badass which got Chris laughing as he knew what Triela was which was badass trying to in his words
"Pull a James dean just doesn't fit her she is more of the bonny and Clyde type" and Katy who had never seen that side of her brother before as he tried to show a hardened man with no problems Katy grabbed the chain and pulled him close and said
"I'll undo these but you will be released into Triela's care and get some help and yes I am pulling rank and no there isn't a damned thing you can do about it other than say yes big sister" and Triela had a smile on her face as Chris weighed his options and even Petra walked by and seeing her boyfriend chained up and seeing Petra Chris said with all the annoyance and emotion that was threatening to overwhelm him
"Damn it sis I hate that you are right and I ask to be released into the custody of my friends and girlfriend" and with that stood up and turned on his heel and looked at the girls and asked as if he was a prisoner heading to the brig
"so where am I heading and can someone take the damned chains off of me because it fucking sucks and they are really leaving a mark so yeah can we remove them" and Petra and Triela started laughing like inmates in an insane asylum which got Chris' depressed temper showing again and as he started to growl mumbling Triela laughed and shot Petra a look as they approached doctor bianchi's office and said
"You really should put a muzzle on your hunting dog because the neighbors have a problem with the barking late at night" and he swung as Petra slid him to the ground and threw a jab back saying
"Yeah I heard the same about a cat that walks around the campus and we thought of adopting the cat so put her on a collar okay" then they undid the cuffs and opened the door and he walked in and looking at the doc who also doubled as a consoler Chris said
"This wasn't my choice but apparently I really needed this and I wish I didn't have to come here hell I still think I don't" and he opened his eyes and saw it wasn't doctor bianchi but Priscilla and seeing her Chris' heart instantly dropped and he said looking down at the floor assuming correctly that Elenora was behind the one way glass so he was not pleased and said, with thinly guarded venom not knowing Katy and Petra had asked to sit in
"What the fuck do you want I just want to be alone with my bottle of Jack and maybe my colt .45 so can we get this fucking interrogation over with?" and Petra looked with unending shock at Elenora who was looking through the folder and she was silent only remarking at the beginning that Chris had a rather impressive field record both before and during his time at the agency, and both of the two stared at the back of the close cut hair with petra mumbling
"boy please open up we are just trying to help you" and Patricia looked with more concern at what he had said and reached out while reassuringly saying just like his older sister Katherine used to do while soothingly saying
"Chris this not an interrogation we just have seen you acting differently and you mean the world to us and we want to help you" and trying to keep up his hard-ass exterior which was failing, Chris said with a smirk
"I'm a reasonable guy but I have just seen some pretty unreasonable shit" and Elenora smiled and said knowing he was starting to open up
"Keep the home fires burning and if we aren't back by dawn call the president eh Mr. Burton?" and he laughed then said
"Yeah and I have been through hell and was always told to keep it inside but that has started to wear thin and I have had flashbacks of the friends I lost and all the chaos I have been through the ghosts are starting to talk to me and I don't know what to feel but I have to go through this alone" and right as he looked down thinking what his commander would say he heard a door open and looked over his shoulder and saw Katy and Petra along with the Director Chris spat out
"So I take you heard all that director and are going to try to have me dismantled eh and I swear to god Jean will enjoy finding out that I am no longer on this group cause he fucking hates me so I'm ready to die unless you are sending me back home to the Navy" and the response he got back stunned him as Lorenzo said calmly with the air of a father
"No I'm not sending you back to the US because the girls have gotten really used to you and I saw reports of the teamwork you have with Petra so I am banning you from most operations but the FRF and the RDF have been using drug movers to also smuggle guns and explosives so you have a job so you two get ready" and Chris looked at Elenora and Gabriella and asked
"So when will I get my psych back and what do I need to do for the darkness to go away?" and looking at him both said
"Don't keep it inside and see us when you get back and know that we are a family and we mean it" and Chris grabbed his gear and a couple of CDs and looked at Petra and asked her casually
"You mind coming with me and Noel because it will nice to have the company" only to discover that Noel was confined to her room after the fight and as she hopped into his mustang he turned on the radio and sang
"Every hand's a winner and every hands a loser and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep" and Petra said
"I made a living out of reading people's faces and knowing what the cards were by the way they held their eyes" and they parked the car and started walking with Chris having donned what appeared to be the clothes of a homeless drug addict but under his rags he had a suppressed .40 caliber pistol and a bottle of whiskey as well as a knife and a dirty poncho which made him look more like a homeless drug addicted teenager than anything else. As Chris got set up on the street and laid against the pizzeria he mumbled
"I can't believe I gave up everything and let the demons overtake me I should have listened and tried to be a lawyer not an outlaw" and Petra listened as she walked past him knowing it was a venting dialogue and he sang out seeing her walk by looking like a rich teenager and he said
"I aint got a dime but what I got is mine I aint rich but lord I'm free" and he just fell back into a stupor and looked asleep as Petra met up a few of the rich girls she knew and said throwing a look at her boyfriend who was trying and failing to bum a smoke
"Hey you see that boy over there on the sidewalk? He looks like he hasn't had a warm meal or a shower and shave in a week and he needs new clothes" and they looked at her and said with a stunned look as they never thought she'd show compassion to the underprivileged and Claes, who had joined the group on the slaughter everyone outing or as they knew it operation bloodletting, moved and looked at Petra and said knowing Chris could hear
"Hey let's take that boy and help him with dinner hell the worse that happens is he thinks you're a cowgirl in tight fitting jeans and we give him money for drugs or booze" and they walked over as the other two stood watching nervous as Chris chimed up
"Do you know you're beautiful and I want you to know that" and Petra sporting a smile said
"Hey we are going to have a dinner at a nice restaurant so why don't you come with us then we can get you some new clothes and maybe a hotel room for the night so you can shower" and he looked at her and said in a groggy voice, as he had been out the night before and looked worse for wear thanks to camo and make up, "Yes I would love to go with you and thank you for inviting me" and grabbing petra's hand and he said with a smile
"you must be a queen and I am a lonely peasant and I would think you'd be mad at the marks on my arms" and Petra looked at her boyfriend and she saw the marks that looked like needle marks and the scars from a knife and she knew the needle marks were fake but wasn't so sure about the knife and she said calmly
"Oh its fine I haven't told my friends but I used to self-harm after my girlfriend left me and yes I used to be a lesbian but anyways what's your name?" and Chris smiled and said
"Names Christian Terrance Kelly and it's nice to meet you…" and Petra smiled and said
"Alexandra Ricci and my friend is Claes Johannsen and no need to worry we aren't going to a black tie restaurant just a steak house" and he smiled and made small talk until they came to a store and he made a small gesture of clearing his throat and asked
"Do you think I could get a new jacket because my current one has seen its last night on these streets" and Petra said calmly
"Don't worry girls I will help him find a new jacket and t5hen I'll meet you at the restaurant and may or may not have the boy depending on his actions" and they slid in and grabbed a new leather jacket and as the Padania pushers as well a RDF member stood as a guard Chris slid close and acting like he was reaching for money for drugs stabbed the dealer 47 times in complete overkill and stole the wallet and he threw the threadbare jacket away in a dumpster and grabbed his new leather jacket before the two walked into the place and sat down after ordering he looked at petra and said
"You may be used to champagne but Ill buy you a beer" and Petra looked at him and said
"you may be used to rodga but I'll buy you a beer" and he quickly accepted the drink before eating his meal he savored the drinks and said as he walked away and the girls left him he sang out to them
"She's as pretty as I've ever seen though and ya that's just the clouds in my eyes" and all the girls who walked off to get the hotel room for him were crying and petra's friend said
"Oh my god his voice is beautiful and I wonder what he will sing if we take him to the hotel" and she wondered herself and as soon as they got Chris to take him to the hotel he sang for them singing
"I would have liked to known you but I was just a kid your legend burned out long before your legend ever did" and Claes smiled and said
"Candle in the wind is nice but do you know anything new?" and Chris smiled and sang "I won't make you tell me what I've come to understand you're a different kind of lover I'm a different kind of man" and they all stood there in stunned silence and Chris looked at them and said
"Only the good die young you might have heard I run with a dangerous crowd we aint to pretty we aint to proud but that aint never hurt no one" and all the girls started clapping and hollering yelling for an encore and some even telling him to start a band and thye would be the groupies with Petra sliding close saying in a drunk semi slurred style
"he's mine and all you asshats can go and fuck yaselfs cause mine" and he stumbled into the hotel and holding on to petra's hand he checked in and looking at the girls said with half a smirk crossing his face
"Ill see yal later and if you want you can take the girl back to her uptown home" and Claes smiled and said right after ordering the room right next to her "new friend"
"Alex got kicked out of her home for smoking and trying to be one of the boys when her mom wanted to be a dancer and Im leaving to go back to Tuscany cause break ends tomorrow" and then they grabbed the clothes and Chris' faded backpack and then he sang as he closed the door and started to run the shower
"You had the Dom Perignon in your hand and the spoon up your nose" and Petra finished the line singing
"You can cry in your coffee but don't come bitching to me" and she started to strip naked to get in the shower as Chris stepped out and Petra asked the question that consumed her the whole night
"What was with the name Kelly and are the scars real?" and Chris laughed and opened the bar and said
"Took the name from a book and yeah the knife scars are real and the needle points were make up so don't worry I won't do drugs at all" and Claes laughed and said
"Yeah nail the coffin lid and that's two to the knees" and as they laughed and pulled out their gear and cleaned it before going hunting again and they lived up to the two to the knees before they ran back to the hotel just as the sun rose with 300,000 in stolen bloodied currency hidden in Chris' jacket and as they sat against the beds with a giant breakfast Petra and Claes both asked
"Yesterday night and this morning we heard you singing and fro the love of god it was beautiful so what did you do to learn to sing so good while we all play instruments?" and Chris laughed sipping on his coffee before replying
"Well my secrets out before joining the navy I thought I'd learn to sing and become a musician but funny how life changes and I also learned the guitar but it's hard to find a good one here in Italy" and they found him a good American model guitar and bought it for him as Chris saw and said calmly hiding the excitement he felt
"Oh my god you got that for me and I guess I owe the girls a performance eh?" and Petra nodded and yelled out
"Hell yes you do so get practicing" and Claes saw the shot and said laughing
"Petra no throwing your bra on stage or your panties" and Chris said back in a nappa voice as he opened the car door for the girls
"I can have immortality and petra's panties" and she turned red with lust while Claes turned green with disgust and as they pulled up Richard yelled
"Oh Christmas tree" and as Chris got out with guns having been destroyed and the bombs having been sabotaged and turned into a booby trap killing the low level RDF pushers and Chris limped into his dorm with a pounding head and popped a few Aleve then pulled out his guitar and started playing and as he started up tuning it triela walked by his room in just a pair of panties and Keysen started shaking as he stumbled in and right as Chris started to throw his boot to ensure his brother was alive Keysen yelled
"SCHWIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG" then walked out of the room as Chris moved to the cafeteria and started to practice as he had a cup of coffee and the girls led by petra all gathered for an impromptu performance as Elenora mumbled to herself
"Damn that boy has talent and we are going to have to talk to him today" and she made a plan with gabriella to talk to him later and make sure his head was screwed on straight for the days to come. As he finished the concert he did for the girls he walked over to the cemetery and Petra walked over to elenora and said
"Ill go find him and see what he's up to so don't worry" and Priscilla followed Petra saying
"Im worried about him and if you check the church Il check the cemetery" and nodded before they split up as Chris looked at the head stones for all the girls and even him and his brothers with a distance of 7 years on the headstones marked and Chris cried and sang
"Even the best fall down sometimes Even the stars refuse to shine out of the back you fall in time somehow you and I collide" and he looked at Angie's tombstone and said
"you wont die here and you are forever going to be my sister and friend" and swung his boot earning a shattering of stoine and he just kept going ignoring the blood that turned the snow covered ground a vibrant shade of crimson and as he fell to his knees Chris slammed his .40 caliber to his head and started pulling the trigger as Priscilla found him she grabbed the gun and asked nearly screaming
"Are you okay and you need to snap out of this" and all Chris could somberly reply as if his soul was already in the grave
"It's not that simple and I wish people would stop asking me that" as Priscila wrapped her arms around his shaking form letting him know she would never leave him alone.
So did anyone get the references to songs and the show reference at the end? Also does anyone thing I should start winding down this story?