Chapter Twelve: Choices and Changes
Errata: In chapter nine, Sig was referred to as fighting against a company of Padania terrorists. I changed that to a platoon of terrorists. I double checked the army chain of command and mixed up a company and a platoon. A company is too big (100-200 soldiers) while a platoon is smaller yet just enough to what I was referring to (16 soldiers at the least). I apologize for the mistake.
Sistine Chapel, Vatican City State
The static in the communications line turned first into silence then there entered a flurry of panicking voices; the communication line was up again. Without delay, Jean gave out orders.
"We need an IFV here at Fondamenta, quick! Someone take out that Hind right away!"
"On its way sir, give us a minute!"
"Fratellos inside, report to me!"
"The Pope is still alive; no wounds only medical problems," it was Giuse, "we're still holding up but we need back-up ASAP! We're running low on ammo and troops keep on coming from that Hind!"
"This is Marco, Angelica is down, I repeat, Angelica is down!"
"Padania troops are barricading the Sistine doors, back-up is arriving, hold on! Sig!" Jean called out to Sig who was taking cover, "take out as much terrorists as you can, we'll hold this position until back-up arrives."
"Yes, Jean!" Sig thought of Angelica and imagined her lying and wounded. Then she remembered Triela saying, it's either you or your friends or the enemy that will die! She thought of Henrietta and Triela envisaged them lying, their bodies full of bullets, their blood gushing out…what if my friends die because of my hesitation? I cannot let that happen! So be it if I have to kill!
Full of resolve, Sig removed her shoes and socks and went up in a sedan. "What are you doing, Sig?!" Jean shouted, bewildered at seeing Sig walking by her feet.
"You'll see," Sig replied and she sat down, opened her legs wide, deployed her SG550 in its bipod and clasped the bipods with her toes. Since her enemies were wearing thick gas masks, Sig selected "burst" in the fire mode. She looked at her sights and started firing. Her first burst hit the enemy right in the eye and it fell, blood gushing out from the gas mask. Then she fired and fired, always hitting the head. Even though she was in burst mode, Sig maintained her posture, her aim remaining true. She looked down at Jean, "This position sir, lessens the recoil effect and keeps my accuracy one-hundred percent!"
Jean merely nodded, impressed yet finding Sig's position weird. "Keep on going!"
From afar, a streak came, heading towards the Hind; Jean looked at the source and saw a soldier reloading a Javelin surface-to-air missile (SAM) launcher. But the Hind dodged and deployed aerial countermeasure flares. Then its rear gun fired at the source of the SAM.
"Damn that pilot! We've requested a UAV for this op, didn't we?" Jean called out in his mic. When he got an affirmative, he replied, "send it out to take that fucking Hind! That Hind must go down."
By the time the Italian Army Dardo IFV, Sig took out seven Padania terrorists already. When she saw the massive armoured vehicle, Sig went down from the sedan, wore her socks and shoes, and took cover. The Dardo fired its 7.62mm coaxial machine gun at the remaining terrorists whose bodies became shredded into pieces. Blood and flesh splattered all over the once immaculate entrance of the Sistine chapel.
"Sig, I'll order the Dardo to fire its main cannon. Once the doors are busted open, rush in and support everyone inside."
"Yes, sir!" Sig prepared herself.
"All fratellos back away from door, we're busting in!"
"All clear!" reported Giuse.
"FIRE!" Sig covered her ears as the 25mm cannon fired; though she did so, her ears still rang. The Sistine's front door exploded while corpses became dismembered and flew everywhere. As the rubble settled, Sig saw the damage: concrete chunks here and there, corpses littering the ground, and blood flooding the floor. Sig next covered her mouth. Never had she seen such brutality before that she did threw up, her vomit scattering all over the floor. Jean saw her.
"Pull yourself together. That is nothing. I've seen much worse. Get up and support them inside!"
Sig went up, wiped her mouth and nodded. She regained her composure and sprinted towards the Sistine. As she reached the point where the door once stood, something hard hit her in the left temple and Sig fell to the blood-soaked floor. Luckily, she remained conscious and looked at where the hit came from and saw a Padania terrorist aiming an FX-05. "You Agency bitches! Die!"
But Sig was faster. She aimed her SG550 at the terrorist's chest, closed her eyes, and fired. She felt blood showering her face and she fought the urge to throw up again. She still can't bear killing someone up close and can't still fully adjust to the sensations of the battlefield. But I must, if I am to save Henrietta and the others! So Sig got up again and proceeded.
The once glorious chapel was in a mess. Michelangelo's ceiling was no more than few coloured and blood-stained rubbles in the floor. Pews were reduced to pieces of wood. Liturgical objects of gold and silver lay broken and tarnished. Not to mention that bodies, both dead and alive, littered everywhere: bodies of dignitaries, cardinals, bishops, and priests whose once beautiful liturgical vestments were torn to pieces and saturated in blood. Sig saw Triela and Henrietta firing from the altar. Sig raised her SG550 and fired at the Padania terrorists wearing black tactical clothing, vests, helmets, and masks as she ran towards the altar. Her trained eye spotted the targets and fired at them as she dashed towards the altar. Finally, she reached it, killing four terrorists in the process.
"Yo, Sig! About time!" Triela smiled. "How was your first kill?"
"Not good. I mean I didn't feel good. I even puked," Sig huffed as she took cover, "How's Ange?"
"You'll get used to it! Ange's fine. She's not severely wounded but she took in some of those gases. She still needs medical attention" Triela replied.
"Yokatta! You guys take cover, I'll take care of the remaining terro-" Sig was interrupted as the Hind above her exploded and started rotating and losing balance and altitude; the UAV strike had done its job. Marco put Sig's head down and ordered everyone to take cover. But the assault helicopter did not crash upon them; rather it drifted and crashed into the St. Peter's Basilica.
"Nice work out there Jean! Too bad for the St. Peter's though," Marco said over the line.
"Not yet over. We have to secure the pope. We cannot take him to the Swiss Guard barracks. It's bloodshed in there, thank traitors. The papal chopper is on its way, it'll pick up the pope at the gardens behind the Pontificia Academia delle Scienze."
"What are our orders, Jean?" asked Giuse.
"Exit through the Governatorato and head to the gardens. Let the girls provide cover."
"Okay, you heard what Jean said. Triela you take point, Sig you cover the back. Giuse and Henrietta, guard the Pope closely. Let's go!" Hirscher ordered.
Giuse helped the pope get up. He removed the pope's chasuble, pallium, and other vestments (much to the pope's consternation and protest) until only his soutane remained. Then Giuse made him wear a bulletproof vest as well as a bulletproof helmet, squashing his zucchetto inside. Giuse assisted the pope walking while Henrietta guarded them with her P90. The party moved, Triela and Hirscher taking the lead, the pope and his bodyguards and Marco carrying Angelica in between, and Sig scanning the rear. They came out into the open Governatorato and Jean met them. He also bought up the rear as they proceeded.
"No other guards?" asked Marco.
"I don't trust them, after what I've seen. I ordered them to just patrol the perimeter and tend to the wounded," Jean replied. The Agency squad continued to move.
BANG! A gunshot rang. Triela fell down with a wound in her hand. Seeming to take advantage of the momentary surprise and confusion, the sniper let out three more shots.
BANG! Hirscher went down wounded in his clavicle.
BANG! Jean was hit humerus.
BANG! Sig was knocked down, her right fibula bleeding. Sig screamed in pain and clutched her right ankle.
"Sniper! Take cover!" Giuse shouted. The party limped towards different covers, that is, in trees and cars.
The sniper fire continued. "This sniper's a pro," Jean breathed heavily. "Anyone here who has a long range weapon?"
"Triela has an HK G3 but low on bullets and I think she's in no condition to fire," Hirscher said.
"Sig, it's your call. Do it or we'll all die," Jean barked to Sig who gave a weak nod. Never had she experienced such excruciating pain and she found it hard to move. But she looked at Triela and Angelica who were wounded. If anything happens to Henrietta, Sig thought, I've got to do this! So she glimpsed from behind the tree. She ducked just in time as a bullet went past her, wood fragments from the trees hitting her face and eyes.
"The shots are coming from only one source, it'll be easy to find that sniper," Sig grunted. She borrowed Jean's rifle scope and scanned the massive wall of St. Peter's and there it was, in a window: a figure wearing black tactical clothing and holding a VSSK Vychlop. Sig recalled the book of guns that Claes lent her. That's one damn sniper alright, Sig thought, but it has only a five-round magazine; she recently changed her magazine if I'm correct. My only chance is when she reloads!
Sig thought she could use a little distraction to empty the sniper's magazine. But before she did that, Sig reloaded her SG550, removed her shoes, adjusted her sights, and selected the semi-automatic fire mode. She then threw stones at the top of trees. With each rustle of the tree, a shot came. Before she threw the fifth stone, Sig readied herself.
Sig threw the stone as far as she could and the shot came. As fast as she can, she came out from her cover and went into her awkward sniping position, wincing as her ankles sent torrents of pain. She aimed at the sniper who removed her mask—it was a blonde-haired woman. Sig hesitated. But again she remembered her wounded friends and what Triela said, that hesitation will kill you and your friends! Yes, Sig killed many people already but they were men. Could I do it to a woman? She asked herself. The sniper was already about to finish reloading, her window of opportunity is closing. Triela suddenly shouted, "Sig you idiot, just go and do it!"
That knocked some sense into Sig and she fired. The first shot hit the woman by the forehead, the second in her left eye, the third in her mouth. Her face exploded and Sig winced as she took cover again. "She's down," Sig gasped and breathed out loud.
"Oh, a she, that's why you hesitated!" Triela exclaimed, "in war, gender doesn't matter. An enemy is an enemy. You did great saving us."
"Triela's right," Jean remarked as he stood up. "Let's continue."
The wounded squad limped towards the garden. The white papal helicopter (whose glasses had recently been heavily tinted to prevent seeing the inside) was already waiting in the garden, the Academia delle Scienze in its backdrop. The squad reached the chopper and Giuse knocked on the door.
"Why is it closed in the first place?" asked Giuse.
"Maybe for added protection for the crew knowing what happened?" Hirscher replied.
"Makes sense," Giuse said. The doors of the chopper slowly opened. A young man with a blonde hair and beautiful green eyes wearing casual clothing (jeans, sneakers, and an opened black jacket above white shirt) appeared and smiled at them.
"Who are…" asked Giuse but the lad brandished and fired a 9mm Sig MPX-K SMG. The bullets hit Giuse, embedding deep inside his vest and knocking him down. Henrietta tried to fire with her P90 but the man fired at her first, wounding her torso and breaking her gun which was also fired upon. Next, Triela was also shot in her stomach. The party retreated behind, Jean providing covering fire. But Sig did not back-up. Instead, she sprang at the man and knocked his chin using her knee. The man fell and Sig lunged at him.
"You sick nuttesohn! And you pride yourself to be a law-enforcement gun!" Sig screamed as she slapped the man named "X."
"Sig? Sig 550? What on hell are you doing here?" replied X.
"Doesn't matter! You tried to kill my friends! What happened to you! You used to be so good!" Sig slapped X further, tears streaming from her eyes. She didn't know she would meet her crush and childhood friend this way. It's a bad dream! It's a bad dream! No! No! No! Sig cried out loud in her mind. She was knocked flat on her back as X hurled her, overpowering her.
"That is none of your business too! Friends? Those Agency girls are your friends? They are my enemies!"
X punched Sig repeatedly. Her mouth bled profusely. She saw that Henrietta and Jean were approaching, aiming their weapons. X fired at them and they backed.
"Back off! I'm gonna deal with this dubbel!" Sig shouted as she spat blood. Her friends backed off.
"What happened to you X? Why? Where is the old you?" Sig said while sobbing.
"The old me? It's gone…years ago! Sig it's been years and you expect me to remain the same?" X punched at Sig's stomach and dug his knee deeper into her hammer. Sig groaned in pain but X continued hitting her while speaking, "my old self, my ideals, puff! All gone! I threw them out!"
Sig endured the hits as memories with her childhood friend flashed across her mind. She remembered when they ate together. She remembered when they played and had friendly competitions. Most of all, she remembered how X's hands held her—the very same hands hitting her. And she thought of her friends at the Agency. They were doing the right thing, protecting people. Henrietta, Triela, Angelica, and Claes cared about her. The Handlers—even the not-so-friendly Jean—cared about her too. If they don't receive immediate medical attention, they are sure to die. She had to fight. Her old friend was gone. Her new friends needed her. She herself needed to survive for Funko, Sixteen, and Elle.
With that, Sig kneed X's groin. X rolled in pain. Sig retrieved her SG550 and fired at X. The bullets dug at X's stomach but that didn't kill him. The SMG aimed his gun at Sig and fired. Sig strafed but X used the samurai-move that Sig also does.
"Remember that move, Sig? I taught you that!" laughed X. Sig was hit in her shoulder and collar bone and she staggered. Souhund! Cursed Sig, time to finish this! Sig opened fire at X who rolled. But Sig wasn't aiming for his body but his gun. And her aim was true; the MPX-K flew from X's hand, broken beyond use. Pain ran through X's body and he twitched and coughed out blood. Sig approached him, turned him so that he lied on his back and kicked his face.
"What a waste! Look at your pathetic self!" Sig shouted while tears were still streaming from her eyes.
"So the little kitten now knows how to scratch hard!" rasped X, "kill me now, will you, Sig?"
Sig cried harder and hesitated. Can I really kill my childhood friend? Can I?...Her grip on her AR loosened. X noticed this and produced a combat knife from his left jacket sleeve. He stabbed Sig's left foot and blood burst forth. Henrietta ran to help Sig who was staggering but X threw the knife with such precision that it dug in her right breast. Henrietta fell and Sig saw this.
"WAAA!" Sig shouted like crazy and she fired in full-auto mode at X's face, "YOU NUTTESOHN!" her magazine was emptied but she kept on pulling the trigger, only the click-click-click sound was produced. "Es duet mr leid, X…" mumbled Sig as she fell on her knees. Triela came and hugged Sig. "It's all over, Sig. Thank you, you saved us. And I'm sorry too…" Sig just cried harder and rested in Triela's embrace.
Jean came forward and gave Sig a pat, "You did good, Sig." But Sig didn't hear it. She didn't even care if she did great or whatever. The guilt and pain of killing many people, including a woman and her childhood friend, weighed heavily upon her. She looked at her hands which killed a lot with disgust. She hated herself. She choked as she wept heavily.
Jean approached the helicopter and looked at the pilot who was scared to death. "Get off! Before I kill you!"
"N…no sir…I am…n-n-n-not one of th-them! P-please! He killed the crew, took me as a hostage and commandeered this helicopter! P-please sir! B-believe me!" the pilot stammered.
"Leave him be, son," it was Pope Julius IV. He was walking, accompanied by Jean, "I know him. His loyalty is beyond doubt."
Jean nodded. "If you say so, Holiness."
"Thank you, Holiness!" the pilot said gratuitously. Julius just nodded and boarded; everyone followed.
"Take us to the hospital, per favore. Pronto," the Pope spoke.
The pilot nodded and they took off. The hum-hum of the helicopter sent the crying blood-soaked Sig sleeping—or rather fainting—in Triela's arms.