Operation story: CV-8

Operation

Story

Previous CV-7	Next CV-ST-3
Characters
Benny "Clip" Cliff Franka Helena Jessica Leone Liskarm Miles Woodrow Blacksteel Mercenary Carl Secretary
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4A 4B 5 6 7 8

Before operation

“

At the very last second, Leone chooses to remain on the plate. Jessica witnesses the power plant's explosion, and after hearing the news, Woodrow decides to find Cliff alone.

”

<Background 1>
[Sirens blare as the entire Davistown has been alerted to the heist.]
Jessica	Hold on for ten more minutes. Blacksteel's convoy will be here soon.
Leone	That's not going to take us to the energy tower.
Woodrow	I'll stay behind... Y'all go on ahead.
Helena	How much time can you buy us?
Woodrow	How much time do you need?
Jessica	At least... half an hour?
Woodrow draws his revolver from its holster and counts the bullets.
Woodrow	...An hour, maybe? You need time to set the explosives, too.
Helena	More than enough.
Jessica	Woodrow...
Leone	Goodbye, Woodrow.
Woodrow	Hurry. Right, Jessica...
Jessica	What is it, sir?
Woodrow	Thanks... Thanks for bringing it all the way here.
Woodrow fixes his hat and turns around to walk down the long street. Soon, his silhouette has disappeared into the night, leaving only a farewell ringing in the air.
Woodrow	Until we meet again, friends.
<Background 2>
Blacksteel Mercenary	Sir, we've finished testing the propulsion equipment. The Engineering team is double checking the connection's structural integrity now.
"Clip" Cliff	......
Blacksteel Mercenary	Sir?
"Clip" Cliff	What's the ETA for our departure?
Blacksteel Mercenary	Everything should be ready by Wednesday.
"Clip" Cliff	Good... Very good.
[Cliff's secretary rushes toward him.]
Secretary	P-Pardon me, but I have something to report.
Blacksteel Mercenary	I'll take my leave, then.
"Clip" Cliff	Alright...
[The BSW mercenary leaves.]
"Clip" Cliff	What is it?
Secretary	The team stationed on the plate has requested backup. They say a gang of robbers have blown open the bank's vault door and stolen all the reserve funds inside. There are four of them... and they've all been identified. It's Mr. Bianchi and his friends, as well as...
"Clip" Cliff	As well as who?
Secretary	As well as Miss Brynley.
"Clip" Cliff	...Huh.
Secretary	Should we send anyone, considering that you just sent away all the security personnel stationed at the bank the other day...?
"Clip" Cliff	Let's prioritize preparing to tow the plate. No need to stop the work we have on hand. But... send out anyone we have to spare.
Secretary	One more thing. Considering Miss Brynley's unique status, should we...?
"Clip" Cliff	Don't hurt her. We have to save face for the Brynleys, after all. As for Woody... I don't see us subduing him uninjured. Forget it... Just make sure he stays alive. As for the rest, let the troops do as they see fit.
Secretary	Alright, understood.
"Clip" Cliff	Right, which one's carrying the cash?
Secretary	Still unclear.
"Clip" Cliff	No matter who it is, send Tila and have her keep a close eye.
<Background 3>
[Franka enters the room.]
Franka	H-Have you heard the news? Jessica... We have to do something. The order from above is that, aside from Jessica and Woodrow, the teams can deal with everyone else as they see fit. That's all it says.
Liskarm	...Franka.
Liskarm	Tell everyone to prepare to deploy. We got the order to hunt them down, too.
Franka	And you're going to follow it?
Liskarm	...We can help them, or we could take them in. But either way it's a race against time. We need to find them before anyone else does.
<Background 4A>
[Jessica stops the car at the mines.]
Jessica	Helena, Leone, this is as far as I can take you. I'm hearing sounds of transports that aren't from main street. Blacksteel probably sent additional men after us, just as we anticipated.
Helena	Are we going through with the plan?
Jessica	Yeah, I'll stay outside to lure them away.
Leone	Godspeed... Leave this last leg of the journey to us.
[Helena and Leone heads to the mine as Jessica prepares herself.]
Jessica	Phew... Okay, Jessica... Now you can only trust yourself.
<Background 5>
Leone	Looks like Blacksteel will be dragging the plate off to the city in the next couple days. They have only a few guys guarding the door. Bet they have everyone else working on the connection.
Helena	Perfect... Won't be too hard to deal with, then.
Leone	How are those soldiers doing...?
Helena	Sleeping like babies. Might wake up with a sore neck though.
Leone	We need to hurry. If we want to blow up the power plant and seal off that passage completely, we need to set up the explosives there.
Helena	Look at those car lights... the Blacksteel people must be getting close to the mine.
Leone	Helena... you should go. I can take care of this by myself.
Helena	Leone...
Leone	Your job is more important.
<Background 1>
Twitchy Blacksteel Mercenary	We still haven't broken through their defenses?
Helpless Blacksteel Mercenary	Not a single car can get close to the central avenue.
Twitchy Blacksteel Mercenary	How many robbers are there out on the street?
Helpless Blacksteel Mercenary	Just one... a Sankta.
Twitchy Blacksteel Mercenary	Is the backup here yet?
Helpless Blacksteel Mercenary	Not yet.
Twitchy Blacksteel Mercenary	Let's stop the car here... Have everyone still with us bring their gear. We'll go around the road and break through from there.
[The BSW mercs' transports stopped.]
<Background 4A>
[The BSW mercs are suppressed by Jessica.]
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	Ambush up ahead...
Rational Blacksteel Mercenary	Going by the bullet marks... That's Blacksteel etched ammo. Good news, we found our princess.
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	...Give me the amplifier.
[The calm merc points the sound amplifier at Jessica and says,]
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	Ahem... Miss Brynley. Whatever your reasons are for participating in this robbery, we won't make this hard on you as long as you cooperate and turn yourself in.
Rational Blacksteel Mercenary	(Whispers) Draw her attention. I'll send out a drone to track her.
[The mercs are fired upon.]
Jessica	Stay back. I'm not surrendering.
Rational Blacksteel Mercenary	(Whispers) The bullet came from that diner over there. (Whispers) Let's get in position. We'll attack as soon as we're ready.
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	Miss Brynley, you may not understand what's going to happen to you after this. You will be sent to prison, be abandoned by your friends and family, and society will look at you with disdain... Can you really bear all that?
Jessica	Sir... With all due respect, I've worked with everyone at Blacksteel for a long time now. I'm not the naive rich girl I used to be. I know better than anyone what the price of this is. But I still have to do it... There are some things you just do, no matter the price.
<Background 1>
Twitchy Blacksteel Mercenary	That guy up ahead... That him?
Helpless Blacksteel Mercenary	Sure, he looks like a normal old man, but you see those transports flipped upside down? He did that.
Like a wandering lost soul, the figure stands still in the middle of the road, under the flickering streetlights.
Woodrow	Kid... Is there something you can't say to my face?
Helpless Blacksteel Mercenary	He can hear us from this far away?
Woodrow	I've lived in far noisier places than this. I only survived this long thanks to my sharp ears.
Helpless Blacksteel Mercenary	A legendary mercenary like you must have a lot of awe-inspiring stories to tell.
Woodrow	A legendary mercenary... Now that's the first time anyone's described me like that.
Helpless Blacksteel Mercenary	There's a long corridor in Blacksteel where pictures of our founder and his war buddies are hung. I saw one with you and our boss in it. It's inconspicuous, but I noticed it.
Woodrow	What a shame... My stories ain't as legendary as you think. All I've been through is war.
Twitchy Blacksteel Mercenary	That doesn't matter... Actually, I've wanted to fight the boss for quite a well, too. Still, he's the boss. I can't exactly pull a gun on him. But if you and him are in the same picture, old man, I wonder what that says about your skills.
Woodrow	Rotten.
Helpless Blacksteel Mercenary	You mean so rotten you could throw a dozen of our teams for a loop and single-handedly keep us pinned down on this street?
Woodrow	I mean so rotten that everyone I ever wanted to save died a miserable death right in front of me. Everything I ever wanted to protect fell before my eyes. Those I loved chose to leave me. Those I despised, I couldn't kill with my own hands. I ain't no legend... I'm just an old failure of a beckbeast. An old beckbeast guarding the only bones that he has left.
When he sees the old man's fingertip twitch, the mercenary keenly realizes that something terrible is about to go down. He aims his weapon at the target as fast as he can, but a bullet pierces his shoulder first.
Twitchy Blacksteel Mercenary	Ugh—!
Helpless Blacksteel Mercenary	Dammit, I can't even see what he's doing.
Twitchy Blacksteel Mercenary	So how come I'm starting to think this is getting fun?
Helpless Blacksteel Mercenary	Stop approaching him, you madman!
Woodrow	Careful. Not a step closer, kid. ...I'm putting everything on the line for this.
[Woodrow loads his revolver.]
<Background 6>
Jessica	So you came in here anyway.
Rational Blacksteel Mercenary	Miss Brynley, bullets can ricochet indoors. I don't want to hurt you.
Jessica	I don't want to hurt you, either. Please take everyone with you and leave.
Rational Blacksteel Mercenary	I'm sorry, but this is the mission handed down to us. Not everyone's a princess like you, who can do whatever she pleases.
Jessica	I'm so sorry about all this...
The girl's voice is coming from behind the booth seats. It is soft and with a hint of doubt. Just like the mercenary's first impression of her—sensitive and cowardly. He carefully inches forward with his handgun drawn and held up next to his face.
Rational Blacksteel Mercenary	This...
There is no one sitting in the booth. Just a sniper rifle on the table. The device on the trigger ensures it can be remotely controlled. A communication device sits beside it. The girl's voice can be heard through its speakers.
Jessica	...I really am sorry.
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	The target is not in the rear kitchen.
Blacksteel Mercenary	Second floor is clear. Not outside, either.
Rational Blacksteel Mercenary	She's not here... Hurry and withdraw immediately. This is a feint—
Jessica	If you know I do whatever I please... why did you expect me to act exactly how you anticipated?
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	No, don't withdraw yet!
A fiery beam of light crashes into the ground outside the window.
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	All units! Get down—
Before he can finish, there is a loud explosion. A tire crashes through the window and, still smoking and on fire, makes a few loops on the ground before falling to the glass-strewn floor.
<Background 4A>
Jessica	...All blown up. Without any transports, it'll take some time for them to make it to the power plant. That's plenty.
[Sound of vehicles are heard nearby.]
Jessica	Were there more of them? Looks like I need to hurry.
<Background 5>
Leone	According to the plan, you'll leave through this secret passage, and I'll set off the power plant. Once this place explodes, no one will find the passage.
Helena	Leone...
Leone	Do you have a map of the route?
Helena	Yeah.
Leone	This path is connected to the underground sewer system. The passages there are complicated and twisty. Only one will lead you outside the plate. Jessica hid some transports and supplies near the exit. Avoid military stations on the way to the frontier... There's bound to be plenty of thugs and bandits, too.
Helena	Leone, how many times have we been over this already? As for the dangers of the road, Woodrow's talked my ear off about them already. Yes, it's dangerous, we all know that.
Leone	I'm just worried...
Helena	I don't like making promises, you know. But I can promise you this: No matter what happens, I'll do everything to reach my destination. Even if I fall—
Leone	You won't. You won't, Helena. Because I'll be right behind you. I'll take down every obstacle that slows you down. That's my promise to you. You just need to keep running straight ahead. Remember, keep going straight. Don't look back.
Helena	I will, Leone... Goodbye...
Leone	Now go. Hurry.
[Helena runs off.]
He looks on as the dark, narrow tunnel engulfs Helena's silhouette. Finally, he can't help but turn around to take a look at the plant's generator in the center of the room. There is barely anyone left on the plate, but the fire in the furnace burns as strong as ever. The flames are reflected in his eyes. Dancing, stirring, leaping. Yet even that is unable to melt the frigid ice lying in their depths.
Leone	Now... It's just you and me.
<Background 1>
Helpless Blacksteel Mercenary	You're late. The old Sankta's gone.
Liskarm	Where did he go...?
Twitchy Blacksteel Mercenary	The mine.
Franka	You're wounded...
Twitchy Blacksteel Mercenary	It's fine. He held back... Ugh... I almost had him. Dammit.
Helpless Blacksteel Mercenary	...One suggestion. If you girls run into him, try attacking his left shoulder.
Franka	What—
Liskarm	I appreciate the advice. Now if you'll excuse us.
<Background 5>
Leone	Faster... I have to hurry...
Leone sets the explosives on the wall and lifts his hand to wipe all the sweat that's gathered on his brow, but the heat immediately causes his skin to sweat even more.
Leone	Hurry...
His lips start chapping. His saliva no longer serves to moisten his throat and mouth.
Leone	Faster...
He sticks another one onto the wall, then another, and another... The light of the intense fire sweeps into the bottom of his eyes, seemingly tearing his soul in two. One half supports his body's movements so that he can keep working. While the other half has left his body entirely and stands firm in front of the furnace, staring into the raging fire. As he attaches another stick of dynamite to the wall, he notices someone walking toward him from the light of the fire.
Miles	Come with me, Leone. We'll head to the frontier. That's where our new home is.
Leone	Miles... Don't go. Where are you going?
Another stick of dynamite is set on the wall. Miles turns toward the furnace, and a small shadow emerges.
Benny	I'm planning to leave Davistown. I don't want to stay here anymore. I'm leaving, Dad.
Leone	Benny... Don't leave me... You're the only child I have left... Don't leave me like Carl did!
Another stick of dynamite on the wall. The fire engulfs Benny, and twists into a tall, young man.
Carl	Good news, Dad. There's a mercenary company that thinks I'm pretty good. They say I'm a good fit for the gig... I'll be leaving in a few days.
Leone	No... Don't go. I won't let you. You'll die on the battlefield, Carl!
Another stick of dynamite. The young man turns into a fireball and explodes in all directions.
Leone	No... Carl, come back!
The final stick of dynamite is set up on the wall. A woman emerges from the fireball. He no longer remembers what she looked like, but he never once forgot her voice.
Leone	Mom...
Gentle Female Voice	Leone... I have to go now. I'm sorry... I can't support you anymore...
Leone	Mom... Don't apologize. I'm doing well here.
Gentle Female Voice	Leone, sorry for leaving you all alone.
Leone	No, Mom. I have a family here... Everyone here is my family.
Gentle Female Voice	Goodbye, Leone.
Leone	Stay here, Mom... Stay here... with me.
<Background 7>
[Jessica contacts Leone.]
Jessica	Leone, how are things going on your end?
Leone	The explosives are all in the place... Once they're set off, the plant will explode in no time. Then, after the energy tower comes crashing down, no one will ever find that passage again.
Jessica	When are you leaving? I've lured the nearby mercenaries away, so I'm on my way there to pick you up.
Leone	No... Don't come.
Jessica	Have you already left?
Leone	No, it's just... I don't want to go.
Jessica	But...
Leone	Jessica, tell this to Sylvia for me.
Jessica	No... I won't. If you have something to tell her, tell her yourself.
Leone	She's... She's a clever girl, and still so young. A nice girl. If she finds a good man in the frontier, she should let herself fall in love again. I want her to be happy... God... why'd I have to treat her like that? If I'd known Carl was going to...
Jessica	Carl...?
Leone	No... Forget what I said. Tell her... Tell her I'm glad she still remembers and loves Carl... But he's gone... He's not here anymore... The living... deserve a choice... The living... shouldn't be bogged down by the dead...
Jessica	You deserve a choice, too. You need to live, and leave this place. You'll get to start fresh in the future. Don't do anything stupid, I'm begging you! Think about Woodrow and Helena. They'll be heartbroken! And Benny! He just started school. He's got a bright future ahead of him. Don't you want to see what kind of man he'll become? Don't you want to see your son again?! And Miles... He's still waiting for you...
Leone	But... she wants me to stay...
Jessica	Who?
Leone	♪She spread her arms, spread her heart, showed me that pretty face♪ ♪And from that moment on, I found my dreams in her embrace♪ Listen to me, Jessica. I can't leave this place. Because... Because that woman left me here on a rainy spring day. It was the perfect day for a seedling to take root and sprout. My... My roots have grown too deep. No one can pluck me out anymore.
Jessica	Leone...
Leone	It's gonna be a big bang. Cover your ears. Don't be afraid, and don't be sad. My life didn't begin the day I was born. It began the day I got here. In the same way, my death won't be on the day my life comes to an end. It'll be the day I leave this place.
Jessica	Leone, please...
Leone	Don't worry, Jessica. I won't die. Because I'll be here forever... I'll live forever in her embrace...
Jessica	No—!
A loud explosion rings out high up above, and its massive shockwave shoves Jessica to the ground. She tries her hardest to get up and move her legs, to run forward, but she finds herself unable to budge. Her body has never felt so heavy before. She lifts her head up to look into the distance. A thick cloud of smoke is gushing out of a giant fissure in the tower's body. The rubble mercilessly pummels the ground alongside a shower of sparks, turning the nearby buildings into wreckage beyond recognition.
Jessica	No...
A frigid wind blows toward her from afar, turning everything before her into nothing but a hazy blur, and leaving the corners of her eyes feeling awfully cold. She reaches her fingers up toward the sky, as though she is trying to grasp something in the haze. She blinks, and her vision starts to clear up. She sees a snowflake. It's snowing.
<Background 1>
[The explosion is heard.]
Liskarm	Is that... the power plant? Hurry, Franka, drive faster!
Franka	You hear that, you stupid car?! Faster!
<Background 8>
[The explosion is felt in the passage.]
Helena	Did... Did it work?
[Helena tries to contact Jessica and Leone.]
Helena	Jessica... What's the situation there? Leone... respond... ...I'm not getting a signal. Dammit.
Helena stops in her tracks, and considers turning back to look. The underground passage's structure, fragile to begin with, is unable to withstand the explosion on the surface. The fissures on the walls are rapidly spreading as far out as she can see. Almost as if underlining the fact that she is walking a path of no return. And so, in the end, she doesn't turn around. Instead, she keeps running. She simply throws herself into the hidden tunnel, and towards the unknown up ahead.
<Background 4B>
Woodrow	...I really have gotten old. Couldn't even dodge a little explosion like that...
[An explosion is heard in the distance...]
Woodrow	That's... toward the energy tower.
[...as Jessica contacts Woodrow.]
Woodrow	Jessica...
Jessica	Woodrow...
Woodrow	What's the situation at the energy tower? Has Helena entered the underground passage yet?
Jessica	......
Woodrow	What happened?
Jessica	Leone... said he was staying... He said he didn't want to leave... I didn't see him come out... I waited... Maybe I missed him...
Woodrow	Does Helena know?
Jessica	I... I can't reach her...
Woodrow	Are you crying?
Jessica	Am I? I think I am.
Woodrow	*sigh*... It's all over now. You'll be fine. Let's see... You're from Blacksteel, and a Brynley. They won't touch you.
Jessica	Where are you going, Woodrow? Can... Can I come look for you?
Woodrow	I still got some stuff to take care of... Can't go bringing you with me.
Jessica	...Will I ever see you again?
Woodrow	Maybe, Jessica... Maybe.
[Jessica signs off.]
Woodrow leans on the wall. He feels dazed and dizzy, and the burn wound on his shoulder aches. He takes out the bullet from his pocket. He can barely make it out under the faint moonlight, so all he does is rub its engraving.
Woodrow	(In Lateran) Forgiveness... Damned right. May this bullet forgive what my heart cannot.

After operation

“

Jessica sees more and more Blacksteel convoys driving toward her. Amid the snowstorm, she shoots into the air. At the same time, Woodrow shoots his belated shot at Cliff aboard Blacksteel's landship.

”

<Background 2>
"Clip" Cliff	...What's the situation?
Secretary	We've already tracked down Miss Brynley, but... the mercenaries are understandably not giving this their best. However, going by how long it's been, she should be almost out of ammunition.
"Clip" Cliff	Any news on Tila's end?
Secretary	Helena and the miner took the money into the energy tower, and... neither of them came out.
"Clip" Cliff	So they disappeared without a trace, right in front of everyone? There must be another exit. Tell Tila to keep looking.
Secretary	Yes, sir.
"Clip" Cliff	What about Woody? Has he left yet?
Secretary	Mr. Bianchi... hasn't left the plate. It seems he's effectively given up on their initial escape plan. After all, according to Tila's report, he was planning to hide in the mountains with the miner once everything was over.
"Clip" Cliff	Where did you go, Woody...
Secretary	He... He's heading toward us.
"Clip" Cliff	......
Secretary	Should we send someone to intercept him?
"Clip" Cliff	Forget it. Let him come. If he insists on coming, no one can stop him.
<Background 4B>
Franka	Liskarm, there's a burning roadblock up ahead. I can't drive past it. We'll have to walk.
Liskarm	Are those... Blacksteel transports?
Franka	Was it Woodrow... or Jessica...?
Liskarm	At the very least, that tells us that not everyone was inside when the energy tower exploded.
Franka	Wait, Liskarm... There's news from command.
[Liskarm picks up the news,]
Communicator	Warning, all fireteams. The current situation is that, after the recent explosion, the target engineer's status is unknown and Target Helena is missing.
Franka	God...
Communicator	HQ's orders are to give up on Target Woodrow and focus on capturing Target Jessica. The target is currently in an abandoned alley on the eastern side of the mine.
Franka	Liskarm... What do we do...?
Liskarm	There has to be something we can do... Our team knows the mine better than anybody else. Let's just try to make it to her side ASAP.
<Background 2>
[Woodrow shows up before Cliff.]
"Clip" Cliff	You got here much sooner than I expected... Woody.
Woodrow	Every last building on the way was empty. Wasn't much to do but come find you.
"Clip" Cliff	Are you blaming me for it?
Woodrow	Anyone else more deserving? Sometimes, a man bears sin not 'cause of something he's done, but 'cause of something he didn't.
"Clip" Cliff	Then you should've shot that bullet of yours decades ago. But you chose to flee. Why?
Woodrow	Because after a long silence, my godforsaken empathy finally realized that another Sankta had showed up by my side again. It was you.
"Clip" Cliff	I was a mess, Woody. Empathizing with me must've felt terrible.
Woodrow	What was I supposed to do? It's the nature of all Sankta. We share everything, always. And compared to what I read from your brain? What I had to go through at that POW camp might've been a walk in the park.
"Clip" Cliff	What a cruel fate. You despise me so much, yet not even my pain can bring you joy.
<Background 7>
Communicator	Reporting. Jessica spotted. Sharing coordinates. The target is heading outside the mines. She has a heavy energy cannon, a semi-auto assault rifle... and a handgun of unknown make. She's carrying all that by herself? Oh, right. She also has a heavy shield on her back. The kind that can be used as carriage if necessary. Well, that's something. Looks like after all these years, our princess has gotten pretty... remarkable. How's she doing? Does she look like she could put up a huge fight? It's easy to spook a cornered thief. They get jumpy if you pull anything. Hm... She seems kinda calm. She's just walking straight ahead, not doing anything.
In the alley, the girl carries her weapons and advances arduously through the blizzard. The dilapidated walls on the sides of the streets slowly pass her by. That is, until she reaches a fork. She freezes there for a brief moment, then tugs her collar and turns onto the path where she must walk against the wind to proceed.
<Background 2>
Woodrow	Time was frozen in that POW camp. But outside, the war kept raging.
"Clip" Cliff	That's right. After you two were taken prisoner, I took even more men to even vaster battlefields. In January, we had to cross the river against heavy cannon fire. In August, we had to defend our position in a scorching hot desert, ceding not even an inch to the enemy. Sometimes, we proved victorious, and we stepped forward over the bodies of our enemies. Other times, we found ourselves on the back foot, and we retreated past the bodies of our friends. And sometimes, things got even worse. Sometimes, I had to sacrifice some to save the others.
Woodrow	Just like what you did to me and him.
"Clip" Cliff	Right, I've done it plenty of times. Not just to you two, but to who-knows-how-many. That's the dilemma war always puts in front of me. It may seem like a choice, but it's not. It's an inviolable rule.
Woodrow	But you still made the call.
"Clip" Cliff	I had no choice. If I didn't, all our efforts would've gone to waste. We would've faced defeat. That's why I chose to accept the rules.
Woodrow	...... It's a sad thing, seeing a man you used to admire get reshaped by the rules and logic of war. You even remember what you used to be like? Before you had any part in the Revolutionary War? Do you remember the man who was always carrying the scriptures as he travelled everywhere, promising to use the gun in his hand to end all conflict and injustice?
"Clip" Cliff	Of course I do, Woody. I remember what I was like, and I remember what you were like, too. You always had a brush with you. You wanted to have one of your paintings decorate a chapel dome one day. Have you so much as touched a brush these past years?
Woodrow	No... Not since I had to get four fingers reattached.
<Background 4B>
Communicator	The target is turning left. She's walking pretty slow. Nearby members, prepare to take her in.
Franka	These coordinates... They're just up ahead. Hurry, Liskarm.
Liskarm	Phew... W-Wait.
The two turn into an alley and stop in their tracks. The girl's lonely back suddenly appears before them.
Liskarm	Jessica...
Hearing her name, the girl turns around. When she notices who they are, a hint of joy appears on her face, only to be quickly replaced by a sense of helplessness and panic.
Jessica	C-Captain... You two came?
Liskarm	Yeah, we got your coordinates, so we rushed over here.
Jessica	I'm sorry, Captain... I'm not sure there's any cleaning up this mess I made.
Liskarm	I approved your application to withdraw from the team, so strictly speaking, I'm not your captain anymore.
Jessica	Right... I guess that's true. You two must be here to capture me, then.
Liskarm	No... We're here as your friends. I got a transmission on our way here. Supposedly, during the explosion, Leone... Well, I'm not sure if you knew, but regardless, I thought you'd probably want someone at your side.
Jessica	Yeah... I knew. I was on a call with him right until the moment it blew up... Thanks. Thanks for coming. It's just...
Franka	Are you okay, Jessica?
Jessica	I... I'm not okay. I'm awful.
Franka	Do you want us to come over and give you a hug?
Jessica	No... don't. If you have anything to say, you can say it from there... I can hear you clearly from this distance.
[Franka approaches Jessica.]
Franka	Jessica...
Jessica	Stay there and don't move, Franka.
Flustered, Jessica pulls her gun from her waist to stop Franka from advancing.
Franka	Are... Are you going to point your gun at me?
Jessica	S-Sorry... I... I just... Franka, don't... Just leave me alone.
Franka	Jessica...
Liskarm	Let me talk to her. Is there anywhere you want to go, Jessica? After this is all over?
Jessica	Where could I go...? Those drones have been following me this whole time. You two shouldn't have come... Once you get back, you'll have to explain all these things you won't be able to answer. I'm scared. I'm terrified.
Liskarm	Don't worry about that. If I can't explain it, then so be it. As long as we're all together, there's nothing to worry about. Don't be afraid.
Jessica	But I am... I'm so, so afraid.
Liskarm	What are you afraid of?
Jessica	That the pristine pool of water could be too warm, too wonderful.
Liskarm	Uh... I'm not sure I'm following you there...
Suddenly, the headlights of a transport point straight at Jessica, and she is enveloped and imprisoned by a number of giant halos. The girl's eyes are unable to bear such intense light. All she can do is hold her gun with one arm, and shield her eyes with the other. After a short while, she seems to have adjusted to the brightness. She puts her arm down, and stares into the distance at the convoy of cars driving toward her.
<Background 2>
"Clip" Cliff	How's life treated you all these years?
Woodrow	In my decades on the frontier, I kept my distance from crowds and wandered around alone a herd of burdenbeasts.
"Clip" Cliff	Why didn't you go back to the Holy City?
Woodrow	Didn't want to. What about you? Why didn't you go back?
"Clip" Cliff	I'm a mercenary. Laterano has no place for me. So why didn't you want to go?
Woodrow	Hah... Ain't nothing so unpleasant it can't be forgotten in Laterano. But most of the POWs died in that camp. Hardly anyone still remembers. But someone's gotta.
"Clip" Cliff	Yet here you are, living the kind of peaceful life you say you reject. Day after day, year after year.
Woodrow	But I ain't never forgot. I still remember them, to this day.
"Clip" Cliff	I've always known there would come a day when you came settle the score. I just never thought it would take so long.
[Woodrow loads his gun.]
<Background 4B>
[The BSW mercenaries had Jessica surrounded...]
Communicator	We've surrounded the target. Repeat, we've surrounded the target.
[...as one of them gives her a warning through a sound amplifier.]
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	Drop your weapon, Miss Brynley... weapons. This is the end of the road. Look around you. There's nowhere to run. This charade is over. The snowstorm is only going to get stronger... Dammit, I was supposed to get off work early today, and catch up on my beauty sleep.
Jessica	...I do want to apologize to everybody again, but after everything I've said today... it would probably come across as disingenuous.
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	Don't worry, you'll be fine. The company's making a huge ruckus out of this, but everyone here knows that nothing's going to happen to you. I heard about you not long after I joined the company, Miss Brynley. Everyone warned me not to get on your bad side, because your family has more lawyers than we've got mercs here today.
Jessica	...Probably even more than you're thinking.
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	See? You even realize it yourself. Worst case, you'll get maybe a year or two of jail time. Then you'll be released, and get to live the kinda life you want to again.
Liskarm	Could you put down the amplifier? It's unnecessary at this distance.
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	What, after I brought it all this way?
Liskarm	I'm begging you. Shut up.
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	Sure, if you've got a better idea for how to persuade her.
Jessica	It's fine, Liskarm. You don't need to defend me. I know how everyone sees me. Right. It seems like ever since I was a kid, I've never thought about the consequences before I did anything. Because no matter what, my family would take care of the mess. That's probably why I come off as selfish. But that's not how it's supposed to go. There's always a price. And when you make a hasty, rash decision, you have to bear the consequences.
Liskarm	Jessica... You said you'd thought this all through when you asked to leave the team.
Jessica	No. I'm not talking about tonight. I'm talking about when I arrived at Fort Barron seven years ago. When I first walked through those huge doors. At first, I only wanted to be a tester at the Equipment and Applied Technology Department. I never imagined that one day I'd be standing on a real battlefield, pointing my weapon at a real person. Right, that's where the root of the problem lies. We often pick up our weapons without considering the price that needs to be paid. Take this little handgun for example. I can hold it up with just two hands. I can pull the trigger with just one finger. I learned how to use it in less than a month. What's even more scary is that... I'd need only a second to take somebody's life with it. But it would take me a lifetime to forget that one second. See? That's how foolish I was. Before I picked it up, I never even considered who I would point it at in the future. ...But I'd already fired my first shot. Not fully thinking this through would be unforgivable.
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	Have you thought it through, then? Because you've been holding your gun up this whole time. Hell, you haven't lowered it for even a second.
<Background 2>
Woodrow	How arrogant. When did I ever say I came to settle a score with you? You think I brought this bullet here for revenge?
"Clip" Cliff	Are you telling me you're not stuck in the past?
Woodrow	No. You're the one who's stuck. You lived to your nineties as a merc. Can you really adjust to any kinda life outside the battlefield?
"Clip" Cliff	Woody. The reason I'm still unwilling to leave the battlefield is because war never ends.
Woodrow	Columbia's war ended a long time ago.
"Clip" Cliff	It did, but then Bolívar's war began right on its heels. Victoria's war may have calmed down for the moment, but there's no stopping the fallout it's started. War is always here. It merely takes a break every now and then, before erupting somewhere else.
Woodrow	Then why stay on the battlefield? To be continually baptized by the flames of war?
"Clip" Cliff	Because if I can never end war, I have to settle for the next best thing. To hold its on-off switch in my hands. That's why I started Blacksteel.
Woodrow	But can you really control it?
"Clip" Cliff	I've tried plenty of times, and I paid a dear price. But I did it in the end.
Woodrow	Was it worth it?
"Clip" Cliff	Even if all I can manage is to put it on pause for a few seconds, that's more than enough time for countless people like you to pick up their brushes again.
Woodrow	Then why can't you put what you're doing here on pause too? I'm sure a few seconds to breathe would be plenty for folks like me, gasping for air. Sure beats getting pathetically run off to the frontier.
"Clip" Cliff	Because Davistown is no battlefield.
<Background 4B>
Jessica	I can't put it down, because... this is the only thing I have left that still has power. All these years, I've thought of myself as something like a blank white symbol... The wealth, family, and influence it represents... mean nothing. They have no use in the face of the problems I want to solve. But with this in my hand... at least I accomplished something. With this in my hand, at least I'm not a completely useless symbol.
Liskarm	Nonsense.
Jessica	Captain...?
Liskarm	Jessica, it's been five years. In these five years, have you ever once thought about why I picked you as my assistant? This is Blacksteel we're talking about... There are all kinds of amazing people here. But I still chose you. And not because of that gun you're holding, but because of your tears.
Jessica	Tears... but tears of weakness can't protect the people behind me.
Liskarm	Tears don't imply weakness. The work we do at B.P.R.S is dirty, tiresome, and dangerous. No one does this kind of work just for the money. Only someone who's able to empathize with the pain of others can throw herself into a cause for a group of strangers, or a place she barely knows.
Jessica	Captain... Just when I thought I was completely useless, you brought me into your team. That was the first time in my life I ever felt appreciated, and I still remember that feeling. To repay your trust, I would willingly brave hell and high water.
Liskarm	But you shouldn't... You shouldn't walk that path. No one's journey should be to earn someone's else's recognition. Do whatever it is that you yourself really want to do. Do what truly makes you happy. You don't need anybody's recognition except your own, deep in your heart.
Jessica	Captain... I... I really want to cry right now...
Liskarm	Then cry. Let your tears flow. No need to hold back.
<Background 2>
"Clip" Cliff	Woody, your halo is flashing.
Woodrow	You're goddamn right it is. I want to kill you. You keep saying that war never ends, that all you can do is control it. But you're wrong. War can be ended. Just not by you. War is ended by countless ordinary folks. Folks who've been encroached on by it, but like weeds try their hardest to survive. Everywhere that's ever burned down in the flames of war has always been fixed up by untold numbers of normal folks, trying their best to get back the lives they used to live. Even in the most dire of circumstances. You should've died on the battlefield. Would've been a much better fate than becoming the war-obsessed madman you are now. At first, I just wanted to return the bullet to you. But now, I really wanna kill you.
A strong gale lifts up the old man's hat and tosses it into the air. But he neither looks up nor moves to grab it. His eyes, not blinking for even a moment, are fixed on the man standing opposite him. All his muscles, from his cheek to his neck, are as tense as can be. And above his head, his halo is flashing rapidly. The man opposite him keeps silent for a time, then gradually takes a deep breath. As though it is only through the sound of the roaring winds that he can understand the old man's words.
"Clip" Cliff	Well then. Do you know who it is you're going to kill? Your nemesis? Your friend who betrayed you? Or a complete madman?
Woodrow	None of the above. It's an arrogant dick who looks down on everything. In his eyes, everything can be weighed on scales. And to achieve his goals, he's capable of sacrificing anything.
"Clip" Cliff	...What about you, then? What kind of man will shoot me with that bullet?
Woodrow	An ordinary man. A ordinary man who lost everything except his anger when you looked down on him.
"Clip" Cliff	Very good.
Woodrow	What's so funny?
"Clip" Cliff	That finger of yours always yearned to hold a brush, but in the end, you'll use it to pull the trigger. My hands yearned to hold scriptures, but in the end, they'll be drenched in blood. It's just funny how fate makes fools of us all.
The wind lifts Cliff's coat, revealing both the firearm on his waist and the hand reaching for it. Through the flurry of snow, he sees Woodrow doing the same. He suddenly remembers how, all those years ago in Laterano, on the way back to the dorm, a gust of wind blew Woodrow's hat away and carried it into the sky. And for a very long time, it stayed up there. Years have come and gone, and now that hat in the wind has finally landed back on the ground.
<Background black>
[Cliff and Woodrow fires their guns...]
<Background 4B>
Jessica	You can see my tears... But what about them?
Liskarm	......
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	Them? Who?
Jessica doesn't give him an answer. She merely looks back at the desolate mine. After the explosion, it looks all the more devastated.
Jessica	Sir, do you know what that used to look like?
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	I don't.
Jessica	Well, I do... I know there was a time when the energy tower burned endlessly to bring warmth to the residents here. I know there was a time when that diner never closed. Everyone would gather around the tables over beer and sing to their hearts' content. I know the winters here are long and cold, but with their dedication and hard work, every last person who lived here filled this place with light and warmth. Their fierce, brilliant light enveloped every inch of this place to drive out the frigid cold and darkness of the winter nights. They turned their bustling everyday life into burning red blood, and injected it into this plate frozen by the long winter, giving it life and vitality. They were people whose path was uncertain, but insisted on walking it nonetheless. They were people who were cruelly tormented by life here, their necks bent under its weight. Even then, they lived here amid the snowstorm. They... were people who shed tears, but no one ever noticed. My tears... can't stand in for their sadness.
The girl raises her gun, and through its sight she sees an array of faces. Some look confused, some disapproving, some stunned, some dazed. Some are chuckling, some are lamenting. But their faces are not important. They quickly enter the girl's eyes, and exit them just as fast, never stopping in her heart for a moment. Instead, a few other faces appear in her mind.
The girl who prayed in the tent.
The woman who scampered away in the snowfield.
The old man who drew his gun in the dark night.
The man who departed in flames.
Jessica	But my gun will cry for their sorrow.
She raises her arm up high toward the sky, and fires all her bullets in one go. As the snow thrashes through the air, the empty casings fall to the ground, melting the snowdrifts away with their lingering heat. The gunshots reverberate in the air for a long time. Before silence returns to her surroundings, the girl's ears catch a faint, feeble sound. It's the sound of her tears smashing into the earth.
<Background 2>
"Clip" Cliff	Huff... Ugh......
Woodrow	You lose.
"Clip" Cliff	Sorry, Woody. I chose war. I chose never-ending war. So... my life is like a bullet. An explosion that can't be stopped. A siege and a defense with no end in sight. I can't end war, but you can end me. Only when the last soldier fighting it falls, can the war finally end.
Woodrow	Rupert...
"Clip" Cliff	Now there's a name I haven't heard... in a long time. Thanks, Woody, for still being willing to say that name. Aside from you, there's not a single person who remembers it.
Woodrow	Goodbye...
Cliff closes his eyes and waits for the bullet to tear his forehead apart. But before that, he hears a ringtone. He pulls out his communicator, takes a look, and chuckles. Then he puts it back into his pocket.
Woodrow	Who was it?
"Clip" Cliff	The military. Don't worry about it. Go on.
[The communicator keeps ringing.]
Woodrow	Is it Bolívar... or Victoria?
"Clip" Cliff	Nothing you need to worry about, Woody.
Woodrow	Is it Columbia?
"Clip" Cliff	Do it!
Woodrow	Another war is about to start, isn't it? ...Where will it affect this time?
"Clip" Cliff	A forewarning, perhaps. It's not set in stone.
Woodrow	Give it to me.
"Clip" Cliff	Woody, a lot of the things I have on here are just trivial, everyday matters to me. But to you... They'd be a whole new nightmare.
Woodrow	...Hand it over.
"Clip" Cliff	If you insist. Feast your eyes on them.
Woodrow	...... Who'll take all this over once you're dead?
"Clip" Cliff	Someone.
Woodrow	...They shouldn't. There shouldn't be nobody else like you.
He throws the communicator to the ground and shoots it full of holes.
Woodrow	...... I can't kill you. This sin is yours to bear.
Woodrow sets his gun down on the floor and raises his hands. Behind him, attracted by the sound of gunfire, a crowd of mercenaries surges into the area with frantic footsteps and moves to surround him. In the sky, the last few snowflakes of the night are fluttering down.
<Background 4B>
Jessica	Okay guys, take me away. I'm ready.
The girl holsters her firearm, and lifts her hands above her head.
Franka	Put your hands behind your back.
Jessica	...Handcuffs don't feel as cold as I thought they would.
Franka	Because I've been keeping them warm this whole time.
Jessica	Thank you...
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	Can I have a word with you before we go?
Jessica	I should thank you too, sir. Thanks for listening to all that.
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	It's fine... Before you, there was another guy who jabbered away just as much, if not more.
Jessica	......
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	I'm sure... he'd be happy that you remembered what he said.
Jessica	Oh... You knew him, too.
Calm Blacksteel Mercenary	He was a good kid. Hard to forget once you've met him... Goodbye, Jessica.
The mercenary taps the girl's shoulder, raising a cloud of dust as the sun rises, and turns around to leave. As Jessica gazes at the floating dust under the sunlight, she suddenly realizes that the night has already passed. Likewise, the snowstorm had subsided at some point.
Jessica	♪She spread her arms, spread her heart, showed me that pretty face♪ ♪And from that moment on, I found my dreams in her embrace♪