[Hello and welcome to the second part of the Hummel Quest! I am so happy to be back after more than a year and I hope you will enjoy the sequel as much as you enjoyed the first part. I will update this as I write, so there's no special schedule for new chapters planned. Have fun reading, and please don't be shy about leaving feedback!]
Smoke crawled across the pavement. The sound of dying fires filled the chilly evening air. Ruined remains of destroyed buildings threw growing shadows on the burning wrecks of tanks, as if they were trying to hide them. In the midst of all the destruction, a Leopard 1 was slowly dragging his heavily damaged hull down the street. The roar of cannons and the heat of explosions were still vivid in his mind, the pain from the shells hitting him still fresh. His whole body ached. The temptation to stop right there and give in to his wounds was strong, but there was something stronger that kept him from surrendering himself to his fate.
He looked back at the tank he was towing along. The Patton was in an even worse shape than he was, leaving behind a trail of oil and fuel on the torn up ground.
"Hang in there …" the Leopard whispered. "Just hang in there …"
Every inch his tracks carried him took an overwhelming amount of effort, and even though the border of the town was in sight, it didn't seem to get any closer. He stared into the setting sun that shone from behind the hills in the distance as he forced himself to go on. It felt like hours had gone by as he finally reached the last buildings, and the open, hilly landscape before him was revealed fully. It seemed to reach as far as his optics could see. Lowering his cannon with determination, he continued down the road, but then something became visible against the bright red horizon.
The Leopard came to a halt. He loaded his cannon and shakily pointed it at the silhouettes that were appearing on the hills. After only a few moments however, he didn't know anymore where to point it first; he counted about fifteen shapes — without doubt these had to be tanks. One of them was approaching him slowly.
"Hold it right there!" the Leopard shouted.
It seemed to achieve the desired effect. The unknown tank stopped. The Leopard kept aiming at it.
"One move, and I'll shoot," he growled.
A deep voice replied.
"Go ahead, if you think it will kill me," the other tank said calmly.
The Leopard glared at it grimly, unsure if he should give it a try anyway. But he held his fire, even as the tank set itself into motion and came closer again.
"You don't have to be afraid," it went on.
"I am not," the Leopard snapped.
"I won't harm you," the stranger said. "I merely have an offer."
Puzzled now, the Leopard however didn't stop glaring.
"An offer …?" he asked.
The other tank reached him, and now the Leopard could see him clearly. He had never seen such a tank model. The white stripes on the stranger's dark green camouflage paint were gleaming in the fading sunlight. His turret had completely flat — if angled — cheeks. The cannon wasn't unlike the Leopard's own. The glacis was of a similar appearance as the turret, only featuring small headlights where the upper and lower plate met, and optics below the cannon. On his side, the tank had armour skirts. The Leopard stared at him with incomprehension. After a few seconds of silence, the stranger spoke again, although he did not answer the question.
"She is dead, isn't she?"
The Leopard froze.
"No!" he said. "I can still save her!"
The other tank shook his cannon with a patient expression.
"No, you can't."
The Leopard's cannon sank in defeat. The stranger was right. She had been dead the moment her engine was hit. He looked up again, bewildered, as the other tank went on.
"Unless …"
There was a pause, and the Leopard anxiously waited for the stranger's next words.
"… unless you join me. I saw you fight, and I have to say I was impressed. I can bring her back, but you will have to join my team in return."
The Leopard looked at him with unbelieving optics. How did this tank think he could bring someone back from the dead? He had to be insane.
"You're lying," he said, a hint of anger in his voice as he felt like his emotions were being played with.
"What would I gain from lying to you?" the stranger said with a smile. He tilted his cannon. "What is your name, Leopard?"
The Leopard hesitated for a moment before answering. He realised that it hardly mattered if this tank knew his name, however.
"I am called Nosferatu," he said.
The other tank continued to smile.
"Nosferatu, I will only ask one more time, so choose wisely. Will you join me?"
Looking back at the Patton once more, Nosferatu knew that even if this seemed like lunacy, it could be real. If he agreed and the promise wasn't kept, he had nothing to lose. But if it turned out to be true, he would never forgive himself for not taking the chance — if he wasn't already dead by then, just another tragic tale told by none. He looked at the stranger again, and his voice was firm as he replied.
"Yes, I will."