Chapter Eleven: Of Love and Guns

Seishou Town Subway System, Undisclosed Location, Japan

Rico ran further down the tunnel, in pursuit of Funko's remaining abductors: AK-47 their leader, Saritch who looked like the second-in-command, Saiga, and Bizon. Rico arrived at the station and she was greeted by gunfire. She took cover in a post which was thinning and blowing to pieces due to the bullets.

"Go ahead, I'll take down this bitch!" it was Bizon. The rest of the Russian guns continued down the railway and ran on the opposite direction, that is, away from the tracks leading to the base. As they ran, Bison continuously fired. "I'll make you pay for what you did to my comrades!" shouted Bison, "give it up already! I'll make it easier for you!"

A PP-19 Bizon, Rico's head was processing information, developed by Kalashnikov with the help of Dragunov. Very fast, accurate, deadly. Used by the Russian FSB. I have no chance of defeating her as long as she fires at me. I have only one window: reloading time.

"Come on out you chicken, you'll make a good borscht!" Bizon laughed hysterically. Her firing shortly stopped as she released her magazine and started loading another cylinder. As she did so Rico sprang from her cover and threw her bulletproof vest with all her might at Bizon. The Russian SMG kicked it sideways, blocking her vision for a short time. In that short time, Rico moved to the other side and gave Bizon a powerful punch in the face.

Bizon fell down and attempted to fire at Rico. But Rico kicked stomped at her wrist and kicked the gun away. Unarmed, Bizon struggled in vain as Rico continuously delivered lethal punches. When Bizon became unconscious, Rico stomped at her face, crushing it and covering Rico's shoes in blood. With Bizon dead, Rico stripped her clothes and frisked her. She was able to retrieve three RGD-5 anti-personnel fragmentation grenades. Rico stuffed them in her pockets.

Finished, Rico fetched her SVD and continued down the railway. Her sensitive ears told her that the abducting party hasn't gone far yet. Several semi-automatic fires made Rico drop down and crawl.

"You got Bizon? I'm impressed! But you won't get past me," it was Saritch.

"I already killed four of your comrades; it will be your turn soon!" Rico shouted in reply.

"Just you try!" and Saritch fired. The poor lighting and visibility in the tunnel made the battle difficult. Even Rico's enhanced eye cannot fully adjust. She knew she had to rely on something else: her ears.

She carefully filtered the sounds of concrete bits falling, the footsteps of the kidnappers running, and the source of the gunfire. To the right! She's not firing from the open, there must be a dent in the tunnel! True enough, there were empty spaces in the tunnel wall to take cover. Rico took cover in one of them too. She planned her attack: she'll move forward changing covers after Saritch fires and takes cover. But she had to do it silently.

Saritch fired again. Rico heard scuffles of footsteps, Saritch was taking cover. Rico moved forward.

Two fires and shuffle of footsteps. Rico moved forward again. She used nine rounds already. A Saritch has only a ten-round magazine. Another fire and…

Rico was correct. As Saritch fired another round, a spent magazine fell and she was reloading. Rico quickly lunged at her. But she did not expect Saritch to smash her rifle's butt into Rico's face. Rico was hit squarely and the impact sent her lying down. Saritch threw her rifle and fished out a 6P9 pistol and fired at Rico. Rico rolled to left just in time, the bullets hitting her right scapula by the back instead of her head. She then grabbed Saritch's wrist and literally snapped it. Saritch screamed in agony as the 6P9 fell from her hands. Rico kicked her by the stomach as she stood up. It was Saritch's turn to fall on her back.

Rico took out her CZ-75 and slowly went to the Russian bullpup lying down. "You d'yavol suka! Ee-dee nah hooy!" Rico didn't pay any attention and discharged five bullets into Saritch's head which exploded like a watermelon.

Again, Rico picked up her SVD and continued down the tracks. There was a little light ahead and Rico could hear a vehicle. She quickened her pace despite the pain she is feeling from her wounds. I must save Funko…

Ahead, there was a grey worn-out van. Saiga was already inside and she saw AK throwing Funko. AK boarded the van. If they get away, Funko is good as gone. I mustn't let that van get away!

But the van sped off. Rico ran faster than she had ever run in her life but the van just picked up speed. Rico though of something; it was risky but it had to be done, there was no choice left. She made another burst just to get near the van and retrieved an RGD-5 from her pocket. She released the pin and threw it with all her might. The grenade hit the back of the van and exploded sending it careening and finally tilting and falling leftwards.

She saw Funko's body being thrown. She landed softly to the right side of the railway and slowly she recovered consciousness. Then Saiga came out from the van. Rico quickly made the automatic shotgun's head explode by firing three consecutive rounds from her SVD. Blood poured out from Saiga's barely recognizable blown head as her body lay devoid of life.

AK-47 started crawling out of the van. Rico fired but AK was quick to crawl and hide behind the van. Rico decided securing Funko was more important so she got up and carried Funko and ran away from the van.

"Ri…co…you're bleeding…what…happened…" Funko whispered.

"I'm fine. I'll explain later. How about you, are you okay?" Rico asked. Funko made a little nod. "Yokatta-" Rico stopped as she fell. One of AK's bullets hit her somewhere near her right tibia.

"Rico!" Funko cried.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'll just put you down here. Wait for help, they're coming soon," Rico replied and she lied on her belly and aimed her SVD at the van. AK appeared again and Rico pulled the trigger; she missed. But AK's bullet nearly hit her by the head; they just missed Rico some centimetres. Rico decided to take cover in one of the dents beside the tunnel entrance.

Again, AK appeared and Rico shot but missed. But AK hit Rico by her shoulder. Blood gushed out from her recent wound and Rico clasped it. I just cannot hit her, what is wrong with me! Rico thought, agitated and panicking already. Rico tried to shoot AK again but she failed. She became more distressed when she realized she was out of magazines. She put her sniper rifle down as well as the remaining grenades and pulled out her CZ-75. I got to do this! Rico thought.

Rico resolved to take out AK up-close. She went out of her cover and ran head on to AK, firing as she did. All but one missed; her lucky shot hit AK's vest and she staggered. AK let out a burst of gunfire and Rico used her left arm radius/ulna as a shield. Her arm spurted out blood and Rico staggered.

Why can't I get her! Rico thought angrily. Suddenly, she remembered what Funko said,

No matter what your gun is, it's important not to think of it as something different. Think of it as an extension of your body. Think of it as a body part!

And Rico realized what was wrong: her emotions, her fatigue, and the pain she felt made her think carrying her gun was already a burden. Her panic made her just waste bullets. And then she thought of her body. She loves her body so much. It makes her feel alive and she was happy moving it. She hated it when she "didn't have" her body before. Then she calmed and thought of her CZ-75 as an extension of her body. She started to love her gun as she loved her body and that made things easier. Her panic and pain seemed to fade away.

AK came into view again. Serenely, Rico switched her CZ-75 into full automatic mode. Then she aimed it at AK's vest and emptied her remaining fifteen-rounds. AK moved very swiftly to the right but Rico calmly and accurately followed her even as she was hit in the ribs. Her bullets tore AK's vest apart and sent her assault rifle flying away from her hands. They both landed; AK's body with a thump as blood oozed from her hole-filled vest, her weapon with a crash as its receiver and barrel broke.

Rico concealed her CZ-75 again and limped towards the fallen Russian. She removed her vest and saw several holes on her torso, seeping out blood. Rico put her knee in AK's chest. AK coughed up blood but just laughed.

"You're not one of those Seishou girls, no?...You're different…you're brutal…we…we don't kill each other but you brutalized them…" AK managed to say as she rasped out more blood.

"You tried to kill my friends…I won't forgive you for that…" Rico said through gritted teeth and she fished out a combat neck knife from beneath her skirt.

"Stop it already Rico! It's over!" a voice called out from behind. Rico turned. It was Garand. He was aiming his M1 at AK. Beside him were the other students, also aiming their weapons at the Russian. There was T91, AUG, Galil, Eighteen, Sixteen, and Elle. All of them had wounds except for the last three who had more serious damages.

Rico was happy to see them fine but she saw Funko and remembered what could have happened to her. She suddenly saw Henrietta, Triela, Angelica, Claes, and even Jean and imagined they were in Funko's place. Anger filled her again and overwhelmed her. No one hurts my friends, Rico was getting more enraged, whoever does so will pay!

Losing control of her emotions yet gaining full control of her body, Rico started stabbing AK, first in the neck. AK gurgled out blood and managed to say "You svin'ya!" as her final words. AK fell dead but Rico did not stop stabbing her. As the tendons and bones on her neck snapped, blood continued to burst out, flooding Rico's body and covering her face. Before AK's head completely became severed from her body, Rico stabbed at her face, dismembering and disfiguring it beyond recognition. Blood, skull fragments, flesh, and even AK's eyeballs scattered and flew everywhere as Rico stopped only stabbing and started raking AK's face. The air was filled with the coppery smell of blood, oil, and fumes. As she stabbed, tears flowed out of Rico's eyes though she did not understand why she was crying.

The girls behind turned away from the gruesome sight. Even the tough Garand instructor twitched. Some covered their mouth trying to stop from vomiting while Sixteen was not able to stop herself and vomited. But Funko was different. Her eyes swelled up with tears and she slowly approached Rico. Funko wne to her knees, hugged, Rico, and clasped her blood-soaked hands.

"Stop it already, Rico. It's over. Please stop it already. We're all safe," Rico stopped raking AK's face or what was left of it. Funko just hugged her tigher and pulled her up. Rico dropped her knife. "Look at me, Rico, look at me…" Rico turned at Funko, "It's all over…thank you for saving me…enough already…"

Funko took out a hanky and wiped Rico's blood-stained face as well as her tears. She didn't mind the acrid smell of oil and blood. Slowly, Funko closed the distance between her and Rico's face until there was no more space between. Funko's lip closed in on Rico's, kissing her tenderly and intimately while hugging her tighter. Tears broke out from their eyes again and dripped down to their cheeks and closely united lips.

Rico felt the tiredness and pain conquering her, subsuming all her strength and body. Her eyes closed slowly as she fell. Funko caught her and cradled her as she knelt down again.

"Arigatou, Rico-chan…" Funko whispered as she embraced Rico's unconscious body.