Operation story: 9-18

Operation

Story

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Characters
Bagpipe Janie Severely Infected Outcast Operator Shredder Timid Youth Dublinn Soldier "The Accountant" "The Convict" "The Elocutionist"
Backgrounds
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After operation

“

Breaking through the enemy line with her patient in tow, Outcast comes upon Bagpipe, who is also fighting the Dublinns. The two immediately hit it off, and Outcast decides to entrust her patient to Bagpipe, to go find Jane and her friends while she sacrifices herself.

”

<Background 1>
Dublinn Soldier	I got a report that you spotted a white-haired girl with horns here?
Timid Youth	I'm not sure it's the one you're looking for.
Dublinn Soldier	Speak.
Timid Youth	She's really hurt, right? As in, there's a huge hole through her chest and stomach–
Dublinn Soldier	Go on.
Timid Youth	A gray-haired Sankta came and carried her away. God, her blood spilled all over the place. It was horrifying!
Dublinn Soldier	A Sankta? Are you sure?
Timid Youth	I guarantee you I saw a Sankta. Not a whole lot of them here in County Hillock. If it weren't for the glowing halo on her head, I wouldn't have seen her in the dark.
Dublinn Soldier	Where did they go?
Timid Youth	In that last house there, upstairs. The one with the broken window. She was running up a storm and jumped straight inside.
Dublinn Soldier	Over there? She's that close?
[The Dublinn soldier contact his comrades.]
Dublinn Soldier	P8, R3, this is B9–What were you two doing?! The target's in this district! Your team should have already searched every last house on this street an hour ago. How come I haven't heard from you?! ...... What's the funny idea? I'm not getting a peep from you! P8, R3, answer immediately!
[The soldier cannot reach his comrades, angering him.]
Dublinn Soldier	Dia ár sábháil!
Timid Youth	Do you need me for anything else, sir? If not, I'll be on my way. And, um, I would appreciate those bandages you promised...
Dublinn Soldier	Bandages? You won't need them.
Timid Youth	W–What are you doing?!
Dublinn Soldier	Orders from the heads. You've got no one to blame but yourself for seeing what you shouldn't have–
[The Dublinn soldier punches the young man, knocking him down to the ground...]
Timid Youth	Aaarghhh!
[...but before he could kill him, Bagpipe appears and blocks the attack.]
Dublinn Soldier	Who are you?!
Bagpipe	Is that what they do these days? Give names before you fight?
Timid Youth	*Whimpers*... Ugh... T-That almost blew my brains out...
Bagpipe	You'd better get goin'. I'll take care of this baddie for you.
Timid Youth	Th... Thank you...
Bagpipe	No need to thank me. All in a day's work.
[The young man runs away.]
Dublinn Soldier	Piledriver spear... A Victorian! Quick, tell "The Bandit"! There are still Victorian remnants in the area!
Bagpipe	"The Bandit"? Do all of the spectre force have names that embarrassin'? I think I just beat up a few screamin' about some boss person called "The Convict..."
Dublinn Soldier	You took down everyone at P8...? Just... you alone? There were thirty of them!
Bagpipe	Well, they were facin' the Victorian Army– Ant it doesn't change a thing just 'cause I'm here alone.
[An intense fight between Bagpipe against the Dublinn soldiers ensue. She is able to hold up well, but more Dublinn soldiers show up.]
Dublinn Soldier	Form up! Surround her! She's on her own!
[The Dublinn soldiers enclose Bagpipe in a formation.]
Bagpipe	Formation again? Well, you've got it together, don't you!
Dublinn Soldier	Hold the line and press forward! Watch each other's backs! And watch that lance charge too! Don't take her on one-on-one!
Bagpipe	Oh? Pilin' numbers up to take me down? Don't you underestimate–my spear!
[Bagpipe strikes the Dublinn soldiers hard with her steam lance, breaking their formation.]
Dublinn Soldier	Aaaaugh! What the-?!
[Bagpipe single-handedly defeats several Dublinn soldiers during the fight.]
Dublinn Soldier	This Vouivre's too strong! She can down two in one strike! Send the heavy defenders! Everyone else, fall back! Get word to the leaders–
Bagpipe	Oh, stick around! Last one!
[Bagpipe strikes an armored Dublinn soldier and penetrates his armor using her lance.]
Dublinn Soldier	Bloody hell, the armor's like paper to her! Fall back! It's now or never!
[The Dublinn soldiers attempt to escape by using hover platforms.]
Bagpipe	Huh? Flyin' away on me? Did you steal our steam jetpacks? Or is it flyin' machines from off foreign? This lot have a different combat style than the first ones we fought. There's no figurin' this spectre force, is there? I wish Triangle were here. My spear can't reach anywhere near that high–
[The Dublinn soldiers on hovering platforms are gunned down by someone...]
Bagpipe	They're droppin'?! Is there a crossbowman around? No, those aren't bolts. Are those... stones? Gosh, that's definitely no crossbow–
[...who turns out to be Outcast while carrying the severely infected Draco.]
Carrying the unconscious patient with one arm, Outcast steps out of an empty house on the side of the street.
Bagpipe	Was that you just now? Thanks for the help!
Outcast	No need to thank me. You saved my ass too, after all.
Bagpipe	I've always heard how good Sankta are with guns, but I never knew you could fling a rock so well!
Outcast	Aha, sorry, little lady, my gunplay tends to draw a crowd.
Bagpipe	Right. You don't hear gunfire every day around here. Is your mate hurt? She doesn't seem so good.
Outcast	She was hit during the shelling around noon.
Bagpipe	Huh?! Sorry about that... We almost could've stopped that assault. It was a huge mistake, especially with all this innocent folk dragged into the mess. Ugh, no sense sayin' it now. I'm just tryin' to save as many as I can. Are these hostiles here for you?
Outcast	I reckon so.
Bagpipe	I saw them huntin' the locals. I'm in a hurry, but I just couldn't stand by and watch that happen.
Outcast	They'll pay.
Bagpipe	Whoa! I just heard 'em say they lost contact with two squads. I ran into one of them, but was the other one your handiwork? Fine job!
Outcast	You're mighty fine yourself.
Bagpipe	But the enemy's got more than just the few squads. They have an entire army, and there's more and more of 'em pourin' into the city since the afternoon. It's gonna be hard to hold County Hillock. If you aren't a local, you'd better take your pal and leave the city now. We've got hostiles watchin' the alleyways. Looks like you'll have to leave the other way– Or they're all blocked?! How could there be so much debris in one city?! Well, they aren't here yet. I'll help you take care of what's blockin' the passageway out back first–
Outcast	You're not going to retreat?
Bagpipe	I'm not retreatin', no. I'll make my way through the city and regroup with my teammates.
Outcast	Through the whole city? Crawling with enemies? With most roads cut off by debris?
Bagpipe	Good thing I'm already halfway through, eh?
Outcast	You're all alone, taking them by yourself, and you ain't scared one bit.
Bagpipe	Scared? The battlefield's never scared me. I am pretty worried, though. I've never seen... a Victorian city in this kind of shape.
Outcast	Lingones used to be a massive metropolis, many years ago. You could call it the capital of the world. But Victoria and its allies decided to burn it all down. One of man's greatest cities reduced to a raging inferno. It was a hundred times worse than this, believe you me.
Bagpipe	Right. Our textbooks make us winnin' the Battle of the Four Emperors seem so glorious. The more glory they paint on, the crueler they are to the Gauls, even. Victoria's done a lot of terrible things in the past... It's not until the flames of war are lickin' at your home that you really feel just how painful it is.
<Background fades out and in>
Bagpipe	We're almost done. Just these fallen columns left–
[Outcast gives her hand to Bagpipe.]
Outcast	I'll help you.
Bagpipe	Thanks! We just need to push it to the side. Ugh. One column goes down, and it might just bring another with it. (Quiet mutter) Who knows what the future holds...
Outcast	No one knows where Victoria might go until the moment it gets there.
Bagpipe	Sorry, I just can't stop thinkin' about all that. You shouldn't be helpin' move columns while you've got that lass on your back there.
Outcast	The job gets done faster when we work together.
Bagpipe	Right, if we all work together, there's still a chance things could take a turn for the better, eh? Haha, look at me blatherin' on and on about this stuff. What's the difference, even, if we lose the chance? What's so bad about things gettin' worse? Even if your home's torn apart, does that mean it's not home anymore? You go enrich the soil again with your own hands. Isn't that what all the folk who live here should be doin'? Phew... Last one! And the road's clear–
Dublinn Soldier	(Quick, the signal B9 sent's down this alleyway!) (There's debris blocking the way out the back, but send a team around just to be safe!) (The rest of you, stay and watch the entrance. Don't let anyone out. Our command will be here soon–)
Bagpipe	There's more of them! I'll hold it here, Lass. Take your pal and get runnin'.
Outcast	That's gonna be difficult, kiddo.
Bagpipe	Huh?
Outcast	You heard what they said, didn't you? Their leaders are coming, and I'm not expecting pushovers like we just fought.
Bagpipe	That's all the more reason you should go, isn't it?!
Outcast	I guess I didn't say it yet– I'm not one to run from a fight. Come, my young friend, give me a hand–
Outcast transfers the patient in her embrace to Bagpipe.
Bagpipe	Whoa, that's heavy! Is she really a Vouivre?
Outcast	Hah, not very polite to call a girl heavy.
Bagpipe	Huff... Ugh... I doubt anyone else would be able to carry her.
Outcast	Good thing I have a Vouivre friend, then. She's about your age, and a fairly tough warrior, too.
Bagpipe	You mean...
Outcast	I want you to take the patient to the east side of the statue and hand her over to my friends. Tell them I'm sorry I can't keep my promise. They'll know what to do from there.
Bagpipe	What about you?
Outcast	I'm gonna stay a little longer. Got somebody to wait up for.
<Background fades out and in>
[The Dublinn commanders, the "Accountant" and "Elocutionist," join the soldiers surrounding the street where Outcast stands.]
"The Elocutionist"	Is she in here?
Dublinn Soldier	Uh, yes, sir. Uh, the other officers are here, too?
"The Accountant"	The intel says there are only three of them... and one of them is both heavily injured and unconscious.
Dublinn Soldier	In the case, wouldn't just one of you be more than enough to deal with them?
"The Accountant"	Two of them took down three squads, and without so much as a scratch. Are you telling me how worthless you all are, or does the mission matter so little that you don't mind messing up again and again?
Dublinn Soldier	No... I wouldn't dare...
"The Convict"	Huff... Huff... Are they really that tough?
"The Elocutionist"	At the very least, they're formidable enough that you're up and awake.
"The Accountant"	It doesn't hurt to be a little cautious. Don't forget, we have both the unidentified Sankta and Victorian soldier, and she's there with them, too. You know what she can do when she's pushed to the brink, don't you?
"The Convict"	Huff... I'm starting to look forward to this.
<Background 2>
Bagpipe	The enemy's... got reinforcements! Leader! This is Bagpipe, callin' Leader–! Still not gettin' a signal... Argh! I need to get this girl over there right now...
[Bagpipe strikes down the Dublinn reinforcements as the severely infected Draco talks in her sleep.]
Severely Infected	Ugh...
Bagpipe	Huh... You're awake?
Severely Infected	No. No...
Bagpipe	Still asleep... but why's she strugglin' all of a sudden? Is she having a bad dream?
[Along her way, Bagpipe notices some purple flames from a mysterious figure from the rooftop.]
Bagpipe looks up, as though she feels something. A few faint silhouettes look down at the commotion from atop a tall building nearby. Bagpipe hasn't yet realized that the flames around her, unextinguished still, are starting to change color. A young soldier who had just passed lies on the ground. The purple flames in his lifeless eyes look as though they could surge out at any moment. She looks back down the street to see yet more hostiles approaching.
<Background 2>
Operator Shredder	It's almost time. The enemy's gathering over there. We can't stay much longer.
Janie	Let's give her a bit more time, Shredder. You know Outcast's always punctual.
Operator Shredder	Right.
Janie	Look! Over there! That's two individuals, incoming! Outcast, we're over here! Out–No, it's not her. Who's that running this way...? Bagpipe?!
[Bagpipe rushes towards Janie and her R.I. comrades.]
Bagpipe	Huh? So you're the cool Sankta lass's friend? That's perfect, then. Come, this girl's your pal too, right? She's heavily injured. The Sankta lass told me to bring her to you–
Janie	Outcast... Where is she?! Did something happen to her?
Bagpipe	She seemed like she was doin' alright when we parted ways... Not sure why, but she told me to apologize to you for her. Said she can't keep her promise, and that you'd know what to do from here.
Janie	–! Then that must mean... She said it herself. We have to be sure we're safe before we help anyone else! Because that's how we save... even more... ...... No–!
Operator Shredder	Jane! Don't go after her! The Lass said it. We know what to do from here.
Janie	I...
Bagpipe	Aye, I agree with him. Do you trust her? I only met her the once, but I trust in her. I reckon I knocked out some two dozen on my way here with this girl. Not sure if any of them are chasin' after us. The soldiers themselves aren't much of an issue, but if we run into their Caster leader... There's no tellin' how powerful she actually is. So, take your friend, and get out of here.
[Just before Bagpipe, Janie, and the others could response, a pillar of light suddenly illuminates the city.]
Operator Shredder	What's that flash?!
Bagpipe	An explosion? No, can't be. There's not a bomb out there with a flash this bright. Leastwise, not one we'd live through! So it's Arts?! But usin' Arts to your extreme in such a short period of time, the Caster herself would...
Janie	...... The blaze... the light... it blew through the clouds... Did... the rain stop?
Bagpipe	– That fire's from the west... Is it the alley from just now? If it wasn't for the direction, I would've thought it was bright out already...
Janie	...Right... The sky's... all bright.
None of them says another word. The flames, kindling the skies, are still burning bright– A raging fury that portends the impending end of the darkness above, or perhaps a shining beacon that impresses the brilliance of life on those aiding each other below.
Bagpipe	That's the most stunnin' daybreak I've seen... No wonder she said it'd draw a crowd, haha... *Sigh*...
Janie	......
Operator Shredder	Jane...
Janie	Huff... puff... I'm okay. Shredder, is it time?
Operator Shredder	It is...
Janie	Let Uncle Oliver know... we got her. –Someone seriously infected.