//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 Colt of Medici // Story: Just Rumble // by Bronycommander //------------------------------// Chapter 10: Colt of Medici Their peaceful sleep was interrupted by an explosion. Vittoria looked after Rumble who had buried himself into the blanket. “What’s going on?” He asked scared. “I don’t know but let’s take you to the basement, you’ll be save there.” She brought the trembling colt to safety. “I will go outside and join the rebels in their fight.” The soldier cocked his rifle. “B-but daddy, don’t leave us!” The colt pleaded in fear, feeling safer with him. “I have to protect you.” Marco ran outside, Luca was waving at him. “The rebels are trying to take the city! Let’s help them!” At a 4-lane road, they helped some rebels including Giovanni to advance, as snipers were shooting at them. Rico took care of them, using his grabbling hook to get in close, then used his pistols, scoring headshots. Then he moved to the next battle. The soldiers and rebels were holding the line against incoming troop transports. Di Ravello had sent his best and most loyal soldiers. “Man that gun!” Luca yelled. “On it!” Marco manned the gun of an Urga Szturm 63A to give suppressing fire. He even managed to shot down some helicopters before he jumped out as a CS Odjur was about to fire. Giovani took it out with an RPG, leaving a burning wreck. Marco’s rifle jammed. “Traitor!” a Black Hand Ghost shouted and switched his gun for a knife. He began displaying his skill, only to be shot by Marco with his sidearm. I have no time for this! Fixing his rifle, he fired at an oncoming truck and managed to hit the driver. It flipped over and exploded. “Awesome shot, Fratre!” Giovanni complimented him. Neither Marco or Luca felt regret for killing their own comrades, those soldiers were loyal to the general, no matter what, while the 2 friends just fought for family and friends, wanting to protect them. “Today, we will win! Do Ravello’s days are counted and over!” a rebel shouted. Vittoria patted the trembling colt to comfort him. “I’m here for you.” “I-I’m scared.” “Shh, it will be over soon.” “How right you are.” A new voice said as two Black Hand Ghost came out of the dark. “Get him!” one of them snatched Rumble out of her arms. he struggled and tried to bite his captor but it was in vain as they both got knocked out. Marco, Luca, and Giovanni were engaged in heavy fighting. But this time, the rebels won. “We won! We finally beat him!” a rebel cheered and fired his gun into the air. “Marco!” Vittoria shouted in despair. “T-they took Rumble!” “Who?” He wondered “Di Ravello’s men!” While it shocked Marco to hear this, he knew his wife wasn’t to blame. “Shh, don’t blame yourself. Any idea where they brought him?” “I believe, I have the answer.” Rico joined them. “I was about to go to the Ruins at the western edge of Rocca Blau to meet the others.” “Good. Vittoria, you stay here, we will end this, I don’t want to lose you.” “Be careful.” “Of course.” They kissed before Marco left with Rico, Giovanni and Luca. At their destination, Rosa was holding a speech. “…their deaths will not be in vain! From the ashes of Di Ravello’s beloved flames, Medici will rise, like the Phoenix! The free world cheers with you… Drink in your victory, Medicians – for today, the war is over!” Teo informed Rico, “We got word that an advanced military chopper left the Centcom tower before it collapsed. My sources say it flew to the volcano and has Rumble on board. And no one has seen it come back out.” “Let me make a call and then, we will finish him.” “We with you, Marco.” “Thanks, Annika.” He and Luca used a CS Navajo while Giovanni used an Urga Hrom D to get to the volcano. “Any idea what you’re do when this is over?” The commando asked his friend. ”Once this is over Luca, I go on vacation with Rumble and my wife. Or spend the day on the beach and the evening in front of the fireplace.” “Mind if I would join you?” “Not at all.” “Can you count me in? I come stay at you like when we’re kids, and then we make up the time we lost. Rumble would like it, I’m sure.” Giovanni suggested. “We’ll see, Fratre. What about you, Rico?” “Once Di Ravello’s gone, the first thing I’m going to do is have a drink – on a quiet beach. Alone.” Rico responded via radio. Rico went down into the lava pools. It didn’t take long until a Golden Urga Mstitel showed up. It activated his shield and fired at Rico who went to cover until the shield deactivated. Then he fired, but only his new acquired M488 Bavarium-based rocket launcher could cause heavy damage, about a quarter of his health if this would be a video game. Rico’s rifle did only small damage. But Di Ravello did not expect that Rico had help. “Here comes the cavalry!” Giovanni fired the rockets and minigun. “You’re going down, right now!” Marco was the gunner while Luca was the pilot. Even if the Mstitel was the strongest helicopter of the military, it was no match for the heavy rockets of the CS Navajo, it’s shields failed by the heavy fire, making the chopper vulnerable. Despite the enemy choppers, the general was completely focused on the former agency agent, allowing them to damage him more, while Rico kept him distracted. After a while, the golden helicopter was burning and flew at high speed but lost control and crashed. The rebel and two soldier hoped that the young boy hadn’t died in the crash. To their luck, Rumble crawled out coughing from the smoke and ash but was unharmed. Luca checked and comforted him. “Shh, it’s over.” The general also survived and crawled out. “You cannot destroy me, Rico Rodriguez! I am Sebastiano Di Ravello – I do not burn. I do not die. I-!” He tried to get his revolver but Rico grabbed it first and held him with Marco at gunpoint. “By ending my reign, you throw a nation into chaos! Medici will fall without me! …Fine, but you should know this: It was your Tom Sheldon who made all the deals that forced me into power that made you an orphan. And I never meant to hurt Rumble. Tom was interested in him.” Ravello became depressed as his expression became sad, looking at the ground. “I have… failed my nation. I have failed myself… I have allowed these imperialist dogs to hold sway over Medici for this long… and this is what I wrought. …and this… is what I wrought. If my reign began in flames, Rico Rodriguez…then… it will end it flames.” He killed himself by falling into lava as neither Rico nor Marco could pull the trigger as they saw how shocked Rumble was, trembling, probably from the crash. Giovanni landed to bring them out and let Rico out at the eastern coast of the volcano island, where he sat down on a beach chair, watching the sea while drinking a glass of booze. “Thank you for saving me.” The pony thanked his father and friends. “It’s my duty as father to protect you.” Marco replied, relieved he was alright. On the way home, the radio turned on. “The Ministry of Illumination and Stability would like to address some rumors that have been floating about the death of our beloved General. The government’s official stance is if there’s no body, there’s no problem! He He Ha… General Di Ravello must be taking some much deserved ‘Me’ time. Ha-ha-Haa! He’s gone! He’s GONE! Vive la General! If there is a general!” The announcer was very happy, obvious by uncontrollable laughter. “Even he is happy that the general is gone.” Luca commented not surprised. Back home, Vittoria, Francesco and Greta cried tears of joy. “Rumble!” “Guys! Mommy!” They did a group hug. “I’m sorry, Rumble.” The woman lowered her head in shame and guilt. “You did what you could mama, don’t blame yourself.” Her son replied in an attempt to cheer her up. “Now that the general is gone, what about we join the celebrating crowd outside?” Elisa suggested. “You don’t have to ask us twice!” the kids exclaimed. And so they celebrated outside. Fireworks, champagne and most of all, fun. For Medici, it was the beginning of a new era. A few days passed. Rumble was visiting Burgoletto with Marco, Luca, Greta and Francesco. Right now, they were playing with a remote-controlled drone at night “I think I got the hang of it.” Rumble navigated the drone around a tree. “Better than we ever could.” Greta said as the first try it ended up getting stuck into the same tree. The control stopped to respond. “What? I can’t control it anymore! What’s happening?” “I think that is the answer!” Francesco pointed to a bigger drone that came out of nowhere, the toy drone was destroyed, only pieces were left as they landed scattered on the ground. Without warning, it opened fire. “Help!” the children screamed as they ran into a house. Marco and Luca responded by firing at the drone but the bullets seemed to have no effect. The drone returned fire. Marco was hit into the gut and dragged into the house by Luca. “Don’t worry Rumble, I will make it.” Rumble and his friends just hugged him and Luca as the drone caused a massacre outside, screams echoed in their ears. After about 10 minutes, it was over. Alice brought Marco into a hospital. Vittoria was visiting him with Rumble. “I should be recovered in a few days. What’s that in the sky?” Marco pointed out of the window. “It’s Rico with a new wingsuit. But what is that?” Luca used binoculars. “An airship! I guess that is where is drone was coming from. But as we Rico know, we will take care of it.” He was right. Rico took care of the problem later the same day. At another beautiful night, Vittoria talked with Elisa and her husband while the children were sleeping. “Alice says that my husband should be able to leave the hospital tomorrow.” “That’s nice.” Federico was pleased to hear it. Then someone kicked the door open. It was a Black Hand trooper. “What is the meaning of this?” Elisa asked confused. “Freeze! You are under arrest!” More soldiers entered the house and cuffed them. “Mommy! What’s happening?” The children were awoken by the sounds and entered the room. A look of fear came into their eyes. “Hold it right there!” An Aegis trooper cuffed them too. They were brought to an Airport and forced into a plane. It was raining. The kids trembled in fear. “Move along, come on.” An Aegis said. Federico collapsed. “Get up, now!” the trooper kicked and beat him with his weapon. “Move or die, your choice.” “Leave him alone!” Elisa yelled, only to be shot by the trooper together with her husband, the children watched in shock as her body fell lifeless to the ground, the rain washing away the blood. “MOMMY!!” Greta and Francesco cried in terror and shock. “Shh, I am here for you.” Vittoria tried to comfort them. One of the guards seemed to sympathy with them, his mask was hiding any emotion but a tear was leaving his eye and he sighed. “Please, sir, I want to comfort my son and his friends.” The woman pleaded close to despair. One other trooper slowly looked at her and them and said flatly. “Fine. Two minutes. Don't try anything stupid.” The Agis troopers looked at the same but somehow, she could see that the trooper who took her cuffs off was the same who had sympathy with them. Vittoria gave a grateful smile and hugged the siblings and Rumble who were crying and trembling. She didn’t know where the plane was heading for, but she knew she had to protect the kids. But she had low faith that she would get out alive of this.