The One True Equalizer
A/N: I do not own strike witches only my OCs; this is world war one strike witches that ties into Striker High as well as Skies of Fire.
Sitting down on a worn brown couch in a midsized britanian home a middle aged woman looked at her sons and said, in a voice that worn with world weariness and knowledge that most people wouldn't blame her for giving up on the world, holding the paper in 1939 finding out her sons may not make it home from the fight they had volunteered to go to, just like their mother. Sipping on a cup of tea she had poured when her kids had arrived with the news as they had been on leave from training, Abigail Blackburne said quietly taking a sip on the drink, watching as both boys pulled on a soda apiece
"Okay boys here is my take on the first nueroi war and the problems as we battled both the Nueroi and Karlsland troops as well as our own higher ups causing us to face court martial, even though those bastards tried to kill us". As both boys settled in for the story Matt glanced at his half-brother Richard smiling as he was interested in his moms point of view on battle so he wasn't a complete greenhorn when all hell broke loose. As she paused to ensure both boys were listening she continued
"When I joined, I was a hard mouthed young tomboy and I got my first flight in a striker unit the only way I knew how so yes, I stole the strikers or more to the point I guess you can say I 'won' it in a card game although their owner disagreed". As both boys chuckled at how open she was about the theft they quit chuckling when she continued "It was fun getting to learn to fly like a bird and show off but the dogfights with my fellow witches was a total bitch, especially the one against the red baroness herself but the Britannian Wilma was cute as fuck but here I am getting off track". Looking out the window seeing the sun slowly breaking noon she reached back and grabbed the lunch she had made of sandwiches before talking pulling out the knife as they ate.
"Anyways I was playing cards and having the superior hand of two Aces a king and queen compared to her two pairs I got up and Rackham's boots 'magically' found themselves attached to the chair and I continued and went on my merry way while she yelled and threatened me. I remember what I said" and she stopped smiling before saying
"Yeah that is a nice pair of strikers and you see, well you're a bit of an asshole" causing the boys to chuckle and make a mental note to call their superiors assholes if they got the chance. "I remember getting to shoot simulated Nueroi and balloons as well as mastering the birds which was fun, but the guns were where it was at, especially the Madsen, which was rapid fire love" and she then went serious for a second scaring the shit out of them both, as they were used to fun loving, stating
"It was fun learning to fly but having to see your enemies become friends then die and there wasn't a damned thing you could do about it will take a toll on you boys" and she locked eyes at both of them before they both closed their eyes to picture it.
Standing in the hangar bay she started to fly and slinging her Madsen machine gun Abigail said
"I had just deployed out to the field and well we had to go out on a flight plan with a few simulated rockets in my backpack and went skyward not realizing that very plan would come back to bite me in the ass and believe me it fucking hurt". Going skyward with her wingman Wilson who she lovingly referred to as wingnut she looked calmly and seeing the sopwith camel in front of her she heard him say
"If you can get closer do it god damn it" and Abby replied jokingly putting a major wrinkle in Wilson's attitude
"Okay and who twisted you tightly because you should have a Britianian personality" and Wilson said
"You never did tell me exactly how come you sound like a Liberion" and she remarked
"I tend to pick up accents easily, hell by the time the war is over I may be speaking like a Gallian or Karlslander" and Wilson went quiet until Abby saw Karlsland fighters and said as the birds and strikers of the other witches, swept for a decent shot at them and unloaded with the maxim guns and other weapons not limited to shotguns pistols and even a few grenades making her laugh
"These fuckers aren't playing fair so we need to drop them" and both turned started to dogfight with the karlsland witches, whose Mauser pistols and rifles were slow to fire but when they made contact they caused the strikers to jerk. As the maim guns peppered the skin of her strikers Abby heard Wilson say
"They are on our six what do we do" and Abby yelled
"Oh I don't know and this maybe a bit of a stretch so try and keep up with me here… But fucking shoot them!" and they both turned and held down the triggers throwing a hot stream of fire. After she managed to survive that encounter and all was going well a she was adapting to camp life eating canned goods, she and her comrades were tasked with doing something brave and stupid, leading bombers into the heart of karlsland's defenses in galia. Clearing the skies of karlsland fighters and seeing one bomber go down Wilson yelled
"If we lose anymore bombers this mission is a bust, keep your eyes open and oh shit flak trucks!" and they both turned the Vickers guns on the flak trucks, who retaliated with the 88mm's making quick work of them, annoying both of the fighters and clawing back skyward both panted, hollering to be heard over the whizzing descent of the bombs
"Well that was fun what do you think they will have us do next?" and both started to fly back only to have engine trouble from the debris and the return fire both engines popped and exploded slamming them both into the ground. Slowly getting up Abby grabbed the Mauser C96 which she found after cutting the throat of the guard she had come across smiling and scoured the dirt around the landing zone for more ammunition and found Wilson trapped and she choked out with blood on her lips from the jarring landing and she spat up blood saying
"I know who you are, you… you're not the daughter of the fourth bloody earl of Windsor" and Abby grabbed a piece of timber and Wilson yelled as Abby turned her back to think of the best way to get her comrade free
"Put up or shut up, if you're going to leave you coward just kill me, I don't want to be captured by those Kraut bastards" and Abby raised it before slamming it into the dirt and helped her get free, spotting a surrpressor in a mangled mans boot knowing it would be a huge help, and walked with her mauser C98 and the found suppressor leading the way. Muttering quietly she said
"Well it's me, my wounded comrade, about a million Karlsland guns oh and the whole bloody population of berlin all spoiling for a fight so this really oughta be fun as fuck" and then looking at Wilson she remarked, a smile on her face
"I have had experience sneaking out of places I really shouldn't be; my girlfriends' room and the bar near my house come to mind most prominently so who knew that was training for this" before both chuckled and Wilson said
"Guess we best get moving then shall we miss Windsor" and both laughed before picking their way across no man's land. Getting Wilson to the medics Abby sat down and opened her canteen using her magic to heat the coffee she was drinking until the MPs showed up with Rackham and instead of fighting Abby thrust her hands out and twisted one hand flashing the middle finger.
As the boys heard their mom's story Matt remarked
"Knew where I got my temper and no fucks attitude from now back to moms tale" and she said
"Woke up on a cruiser near the battle zone chained to the rail as we were leaving the area but still in range of bombers and even the occasional blimp raid and as I was thinking about how to be free Wilson told me he would speak up for me and the krauts decided to fire" and as Abby saw Rackham drop dead from machine gun fire after arguing about getting airborne, Wilson shot the cuff and they broke skyward and Wilma joined them as the lines of enemies aircraft and even the cursed blimps were in sight and she said
"Well this is it, we either die on our knees forgotten to history or we make our mark take a pick" and the three fighters all went hunting the blimps, fighters, bombers and even the nueroified airships in what Abby yelled was a turkey shoot. As Abby and Wilma both landed on the airship with a crashing thud as the engines tore into the ship she felt a eerie sense of relief that she could stop fighting and just die. Falling into it Abby grabbed her pistol and started to sneak through the ship shooting at anyone who was in the way. Sneaking behind one guy and deciding the pistol would be two loud as she had slid away from the engines, she shoved the trooper and watched as he fell to his death all the while trying to stop it clutching for anything. Seeing him splatter she smiled before throwing another man into the propellers and said laughing like a maniac
"Well I thought he could fly but oh well and they can't swim either" and moved until wingnut and Wilma both were with her and she hollered to be heard over the howling roar of the wind
"We need to capture one of those damned flak guns now!" before launching an almost suicidal assault. Capturing the gun, storming with her pistols leading the way, she smashed the mans head into the gun before throwing him and the other man in the way and firing turning them into a pale red mist and she grabbed the gun controls having a man grab her and Wilson started to brawl spitting out "We are equal now" and Abby yelled as she fired, in an almost ritualistic manner
"I AM A STAND UP KIND OF GIRL!" and then seeing the blimp come toward her and another one explode as the core was hit she jumped up and lept over the side with Wilson and Wilma and the Karlsland trooper who they knew had the last name hartmann all go over the side and into the water. Swimming over to the side of the canal she felt the hands grab her before being sent to basic training. Seeing it was 1916 she saw the training target and she lunged at it with her 03 and its bayonet. Catching the target in the ribs she twisted and smiled before continuing training. Passing through training and getting her Trench gun and Browning as well as her trusty 1907SL before joining her fellow troopers running on the first ship to the trenches she looked at the others and smiled. After a year of deciding what would happen to her Abby got sent to the trenches as the rank of lieutenant but sent to the ground forces after showing her skills in hand to hand and shooting. Snapping out of her thoughts she muttered
"Well I thank god that the military let me off with a warning and demotion back to foot soldier but I can make the most of it" before throwing a fire ball at the karlsland lines. Watching as it went up she dreaded what came next, the shrill whistle sending her and her fellow liberion's over the wire and into the waiting Karlsland machine guns and certain death. Hearing the blowing Lieutenant Abby and her trusted friend and fellow lieutenant Alison Yeager both went over yelling in karlslandian
"Bitte senden Sie in der teufelshunde" and the looks they got as they yelled it had everyone watching until they were repelled by the Maxim '08s. Watching as they all dropped around her and seeing Alison get shot in the leg Abby said
"Come one get up on your feet marine" and the two slid back into the trench bleeding from shrapnel and the barbed wire and Abby remarked
"I am actually a member of the 2nd ID and I assume you are 4th marine battalion" getting Alison nodding. Quickly patching them up Richard, a friend from Karlsland yelled
"Just surrender my friends they is no disgrace in defeat only death" and Abby said, knowing he was repeating what the commanders were yelling,
"Since we lost the commanders and I am in charge now well I have a plan because the general's desk isn't the trenches so it is time to raise the black flag and start cutting throats" after see found out she had been promoted to commander. Smiling she said, ensuring the orders were heard by the artillery crews as well as her boys and girls
"Sundown is our time and anyone shells them or blows the whistle beforehand I will shoot them myself" pulling her .45 letting everyone she was deadly serious and then said smiling to Allison, who had distinguished herself at Bellau wood and was up for promotion
"We will either be awarded medals for this stroke of tactical brilliance or I will be demoted and taking orders from you" and Allison remarked
"If we don't die first" and they knuckled and hugged before ordering everyone over the wire as the watches they all wore read 12 AM. Sliding into the trenches Abby started cutting the throats of the sleeping, then using a trench club, looking like a baseball bat with a lead weight wrapped in barbed wire with a pair of bayonets through it, that Richard tossed her as they woke up and they smashed the enemies before setting up a defensive line shooting the wounded or anyone dumb enough to reach for a weapon and Richard yelled
"Court martial party" removing his blood stained jacket and muddied helmet setting them down and as he was preparing for another attack Abby yelled
"Trenches are in allied hands so come on in boys and girls" and as they approached everyone pointed guns saying
"you can join us or you can turn around and head back but word of warning is if you join us you may be getting court-martialed or deemed traitors to the allies and even the karlslandians" and Richard laughed saying, holding a pigeon
"Not the Karlslandians as I have been promoted to the highest rank possible" and seeing the confused looks said
I am now the emperor of karlsalnd and I will put in for the knights cross for all of you in your valent defense and the liberion medal of honor for the Liberions" and Abby saw a pigeon and grabbed it before saying after reading it
"I will confirm the nominations as I am now the leader of this section of western front as I am the highest ranking officer because the General was assassinated by Britanian soldiers and they end it with the phrase 'fly the black flag'" and both sides all nodded and shook hands not knowing the Orrussian radio set next to them that was transmitting to the tsar. Seeing and hearing the shelling Richard yelled
"I am Emperor Richard Hartmann the first" and Abby and Allison both jumped up and smacked the shells down and the others filled the second and third trenches and Wilma painted a sign saying
"We know who we are voting for, we have found religion and aren't interested in buying shit. If you have free beer maybe we will talk" and everyone laughed reading the sign and chanted
"COURT MARTIAL PARTY" before opening the kegs and eating in the shelters as a man in a muddied overcoat with a toothbrush mustache yelled
"These Liberions are ruining our purity and you call yourself our emperor" trying to grab a gun to shoot Richard in the back and Abby quietly raised a luger from the table and blew his brains out leaving a pink mist on the wall and grabbed a man with Fromm on his jacket and the emperor grabbed a Maxim gun and said
"When we walk out that door one of us ain't coming back" before tying him to a stake and executing him by firing squad. Looking a piece of paper Richard said
"He and Hitler were on the list for treason so I take it we have some major house cleaning to do" and the others all found new and better food as Richard activated the generators saying
"We have a generator, lights and actually decent beds as we stayed here a while as the Orrusian tsar asked his closest advisor Alexandra
"What do they mean court-martial party?" before dispatching a heavy gunned castle to find out as she had no clue. Looking at her kids Abby said
"You are bound to hear a different story about how I lied and murdered my way across the western front and used a air raid to escape a court martial, well no I used it to get laid, thank god for bomber shelters, and what I said is the truth. I wouldn't tell you if it wasn't" before smiling and saying "would I?"