Begonia '68 Chapter II - Crack The Earth, Shake The Sky

Begonia '68 Chapter II - Crack The Earth, Shake The Sky is the second instalment in the comic series Begonia '68, taking place immediately after the events described in Begonia '68 Chapter I - For What It's Worth. It was initially released on August 26th 2022 by Vanguard Studios. It is 15 pages long and was the second piece of Begonia '68 media released.

### Spoiler-free Blurb

*"One thing they don't tell you about actual combat is how fucking hot it gets. Both literally and figuratively. There's no wind. You're covered in sweat (is it yours?), the sun beats down on you, your gun gets hot as fuck (who thought it would be a good idea to make the M16 black???), and once everything gets hot enough, you get covered in blood too; It isn't yours."*

### Synopsis (Spoilers)

The comic opens with a monologue by Kiyasshi when he is in a state of shock. He contemplates the emotions of his gun, whilst completely detached from the chaotic and dangerous battle raging around him. He thinks he can hear his gun calling his name, but in reality CJ is screaming at him from the barricade with Kingsley, Shoestring and Fritz. Kingsley notes Kiyasshi is in a state of shock, and orders Shoestring to retrieve Kiyasshi. After some slight protest, Shoestring charges while hip firing his M60, eventually making it to Kiyasshi. He tries to get him to move but is killed shortly after stating "Any day now!" by a burst of 7 7.62x25mm Tokarev bullets fired from the PPSh-41 of Hong. Kiyasshi snaps out of his shock into a fit of rage, in which he equips his helmet, his M16a1 and Shoestring's M60 and removes his Christ necklace, remarking "Lord forgive me... for I have sinned." he then proceeds to go on a rampage, mowing down many enemy Viet Cong with the intent to avenge the death of Shoestring by killing the Viet Cong who shot him. The perspective of the comic switches to CJ, where he is shocked by Kiyasshi's rampage. Meanwhile Kingsley asks what Fritz has been doing this whole time - for the duration of the battle Fritz has been attempting to make use of the AN/PRC 76 radio on the back of a deceased Begonia Battalion radio trooper in order to call in a napalm strike on their position. Just as he is about to confirm the co-ordinates, Kingsley physically separates Fritz from the radio and tells Fritz (addressing him as a "Nazi piece of shit") that if he calls in the strike it will kill the whole battalion. Fritz is incredibly angered at being called a Nazi and punches Kingsley in the face. A fight between them ensues as the focus turns to Kiyasshi once more. He confronts the killer of Shoestring who pleads for his life in Vietnamese. Kiyasshi kills him with a tomahawk axe to the face. Meanwhile CJ hears the radio operator asking for confirmation of the coordinates for the napalm strike. Fritz calls out to CJ while losing his fight with Kingsley, saying to confirm the coordinates. Kingsley objects, ordering CJ to abort the strike. CJ is conflicted on what to do and feels the looming pressure of all of his comrades deaths. He eventually decides to call in the strike, and the pilot (later revealed as Fesh but referred to as Angels 1-2) confirms an ETA of 1 minute. Kingsley shoves CJ over and screams at him about what he has just done. With the focus back on Kiyasshi, he is shot in the shoulder by a Viet Cong with a TT-23 Tokarev pistol, whom he kills with the tomahawk by throwing it at him.