Secret Nazi Research Facility – Breslau, Germany
A scientist dressed in an oddly pristine suit entered the dark room. A single light lit the room from above, but it wasn't enough to bring full clarity. Darkness shadowed the figure at the far end of the chamber. The scientist was wearing a full Nazi uniform, despite his position. The only thing that marred his uniform was a tear on the bright swastika armband caused by an unwilling patient.
"You wanted to see me?" The scientist asked casually while walking to the figure.
"Yes, yes. Come here Dr. Richtofen." The figure greeted the scientist happily and turned to welcome to visitor. The scientist approached the other and smiled.
"Is this about the teleporter?" The scientist asked, recalling the brilliant discovery. They had managed to teleport a dog successfully without any problems and it was near the time they would try with a human.
The other scientist laughed quietly, pausing as it echoed in the empty room. "Of course. I would like to try with Fluffy again. After that…one of our experiments might be willing."
The experiment he referred to was the infamous 'super-human soldier'. The test had failed several times. The closest they came to creating one was extremely hostile towards the scientists and other humans. The scientists kept them locked away, but alive for further experiments. They were running low on prisoners to use and the failed the experiments were the next best thing.
"Let us go then. The dog is in the room, yes?" Dr. Richtofen asked, not wanting to face the scientist's daughter again.
"Yes, and Sam is elsewhere in the facility. I don't like her here though…there are some things a child should not see."
"Dr. Maxis, your daughter is fine here. As long as she's away from me." Dr. Richtofen held a deep resentment towards children, due his childhood, oddly enough.
"Those Soviets are coming closer…they say the war will end soon. With them on the march to Berlin, our end may be near." Dr. Maxis explained, sharing his worried thoughts. "But never mind that; for now the most we can do is work on Die Glocke."
Dr. Richtofen nodded his agreement and remained silent. They continued their walk down a dimly lighted hallway lined with closed doors, most lacking windows. Pain-filled screams could be heard emitting from the walls along with the shrill sound of drills and zaps of electricity. The pair of scientists ignored the sounds, all too used to the hums of torture.
They walked up a set of stairs and appeared in an open area where some lone tests were being conducted carefully by similarly clothed scientists. Few of them acknowledged the pair walking through the room. Dr. Richtofen followed as Dr. Maxis opened the doors to the room that housed the prized invention.
From a smaller room in the back, a dog heard the sound of opening doors and ran to greet the guests. The fat German shepherd jumped up onto to Dr. Maxis, barking a few times. "Hello, Fluffy. Ready for a trip?" The dog gleefully wagged her tail and removed her paws from his chest. She looked over her shoulder at Dr. Richtofen and barked happily again.
Dr. Maxis whistled sharply and Fluffy loyally ran over to her master. He pointed to the inside of the teleporter and she walked inside it, carefully sitting down.
Dr. Richtofen appeared next to the scientist. "The dog looks pregnant. Are you sure this won't affect anything?"
Dr. Maxis shook his head while scribbling his name, Dr. Ludvig Maxis, onto a sheet of paper. "She was pregnant before, it just wasn't noticeable." After writing down more notes about the current test, he turned to the control panel. "Richtofen, stand on the opposite side of the teleporter."
Dr. Richtofen obeyed and promptly walked over, glancing suspiciously at the dog as he passed. The dog stared at him before pricking her ears up. Richtofen also turned to look at the door. He could hear someone sprinting up the stairs to the room. Dr. Maxis started up the teleporter, ignoring the footsteps.
One of the doors was pushed open and Samantha walked in, breathless. "Where's Fluffy?"
Dr. Maxis turned and muttered something under his breath. "She's right here. I'm busy now; can't you find something else to do for a few minutes?"
"What are you doing to Fluffy?" She asked, ignoring her father's words. She ran up to him and the teleporter.
"Nothing dear, it's just a quick experiment." Dr. Maxis looked up at Richtofen. "Could you lead her out of here?"
Richtofen narrowed his eyes at the other scientist before walking up to the girl. "No!" She yelled defiantly. "You said you would stop testing on Fluffy!"
"This is very important and it won't harm her at all." Dr. Maxis tried to explain. Richtofen tried to grab the girl, but she hit his hand away and ran to the control panel.
"Don't touch that!" Dr. Maxis shouted angrily, seeing that she was trying to stop the experiment. Richtofen backed away while watching them. He felt drawn towards the door and away from the two arguing.
There was a flash of light. "Verdammt!" Dr. Maxis yelled, staring at the teleporter in horror. "Why did you even think of doing that?"
"Where did Fluffy go?" Samantha asked, staring at the empty space in the teleporter.
Dr. Maxis ran his fingers through his slick hair. "The teleporter wasn't ready…there's no telling what happened to her…" He muttered in contempt.
"Bring her back!" Samantha demanded, looking up at her father.
There was another blinding flash of light and an ominous growl filled the room. "D-daddy…" She whimpered, staring at what appeared from the flash.
Richtofen felt compelled to leave and condemn these two. He felt a sudden, violent hatred for his friend and the innocent girl. Though the voices remained silent, the urge was enough. He pushed open the doors leading out of the room and turned quickly to lock them. He held the key in his hand and quickly shoved it into the lock while watching the horror unfold in the room.
Fluffy seemed to have returned from hell. She had grown noticeably larger in size, easily taller than Dr. Maxis if she was standing on her hind legs. Her fur had turned to flames and eyes were an evil glowing shade of red. The growl could be heard from outside the room.
"Edward!" Dr. Maxis yelled in terror. "What are you doing? Open this door right now!" The dog from hell began stalking closer towards them. "Damn you…stay by me Samantha."
"Goodbye, Doctor Maxis!" Richtofen yelled to them happily, taking the key and walking from the door. A loud roar sounded from the room and Richtofen laughed as he saw Dr. Maxis pounding on the door while Fluffy leaped for his neck.
Moscow Kremlin – Moscow, Soviet Union
"Nikolai Belinski." The soldier reported gruffly while flashing his ID at the guard. The uniformed guard held his position and looked Nikolai over sharply. Matching the position on the ID card, he had a crimson border on his insignia. Meeting the soldier's eyes, the guard quickly looked away in fear. He tightened his grip on his rifle as he recalled the name and the rumors with it.
"Do you have a meeting?" The young guard asked when he heard an annoyed growl from the soldier.
"Yes."
"You may enter, Soldier Belinski." The guard answered with a slight pause. Nikolai waited for the gate to be opened and when he was walking to the main entrance, the guard noticed the bottle of vodka the soldier carried.
The other guard laughed. "Stay quiet with this one. You've heard the stories about him, yes?"
"Nikolai Belinski…" The guard paused and looked back at the soldier. "He's really the one?"
"Who else?"
Nikolai looked to his right briefly to see the Spasskaya tower with the famous crimson star perching on top. The cold snow swirled around him as he walked to the entrance. He was called to the Kremlin by Stalin himself. A small grin crept onto this face when he recalled the number of events he went through to make it here.
"Identification." The guard demanded, sweeping his eyes over the Nikolai as he climbed the steps. Nikolai held up his card and the guard nodded curtly. The other guard opened the door for the soldier and watched him carefully as he entered.
A red carpet greeted him as he arrived. Four granite pillars reflected the bright lights of the room. The guards stood at the edge of the strip of carpet leading up the stairs. Those entering the room were welcomed by the sudden comforting warmness that sheltered them from the harsh winter outside. There was a lingering scent that was new to Nikolai and it reminded him only of royalty.
"What is your business here?" The guard closest to him asked, watching as Nikolai stood and gazed about the room.
He turned sharply from the lavish decorations around and walked to the guard. "Stalin." The guard looked at his comrades for advice. The one across from him nodded twice and continued staring forward.
"Continue up the stairs." The guard replied. Nikolai gave the guard a curious look, but dismissed the vague directions and continued. Sets of golden lights guided him up the staircase as the ceiling arched above him. Intricate designs on the walls and carpet captivated his eyes. His home in Siberia was plain as expected. He came from a poor family, but he hoped to change that. At least for his daughter. Everyone else he cared less for, but his daughter deserved a good life. His military advancement was for their own good.
The doors to the room were already open. The carpet continued to the wall where a large portrait of a fight stood. The walls were a comforting teal while Corinthian pillars protruded from the corners of the room. To his left there was a window looking over a snowy courtyard and to his right was the hallway to another room. A figure stood staring at the painting.
"Hello." Nikolai greeted, stopping at the doorway. The figure turned to face the soldier.
"Nikolai Belinski…" He paused and looked Nikolai over. "Good to see you." The figure was Joseph Stalin. Nikolai recognized him at once from his signature mustache and combed black hair. He was wearing his regular uniform. It was heavily decorated, expected for someone such as him. Although, it seemed odd as he was not at a formal meeting.
"Hm, nice to see you as well." Nikolai replied abruptly, leaving out the standard 'sir'. "What was it you needed?"
"A quick military notice I wanted to deliver personally." He sighed and looked about the room again.
"Well?"
"I've noticed you've advanced through the ranks quite quickly. I've heard about the other crimes you've committed as well. Murder among them." He looked at the soldier's eyes quickly and turned back to the floor. He wondered briefly if he should get a guard. "You're a good soldier, I know that myself. It would be a waste to rid of you." Another pause, "Nikolai, you will now be fighting on the front lines next time you are called to duty."
Nikolai stared at the man for a few silent moments. "You…you can't be serious? Do you know how highly regarded I am?" Nikolai shouted at the leader.
"You heard me correctly, Belinski."
"I was at the top of the ranks! You can't just dump me at the front lines and forget about me. I worked endlessly to gain my respect in here and you just dismiss me like this." He growled the last words and took a step towards Stalin.
"Leave. This was your own fault, Nikolai. Report to the guards outside, they'll take you to the Moscow military base."
Nikolai continued to glare at him. Stalin held the gaze for a few moments before looking to his left. Nikolai turned sharply and walked down the stairs. His hand curled around the handle of the knife hidden inside his coat. However, he didn't know whose life to take.
Abandoned Japanese Military Base - Undisclosed Location, Japan
The group of four soldiers trudged through the swamp, pointing their guns at any suspicious noise. Mosquitos buzzed casually beside them, following them on the mission. Red marker had scribbled the words 'Sgt. Tank' on the leading soldier's helmet. The one's following were privates, but were still highly skilled.
"We nearly there yet?" One of the soldiers complained to the leader. He carried a Thompson while the others held tightly to their –insert non-shitty gun here-.
"Hm, you never shut up do you?" Tank muttered in reply. He pushed aside the plethora of foreign plants, considering to just cut them down with his machete. Mud was caked up his pants and spattered onto the rest of his uniform as well. Dots of blood showed as well, but wasn't as noticeable. So far, there were no adversaries for the Americans.
Past the flora, the ground dropped to a pool of dirty water. Patches of land sat in the swamp with plants growing wildly. Near them, a small building stood. The doors seemed to be locked and the windows barricaded. Ahead, there was a larger wooden building that fit their mission description.
"We finally found it," Remarked a young soldier standing at the back of the group.
"Place seems empty…" Another said, stepping into the ankle-deep water.
"Only one way to find out." Tank replied, leading the group to the main building. "Get moving, Tyler!" He yelled behind his shoulder when he noticed the young man staring around him.
"Sorry, sir!" He called back hurriedly.
More mosquitoes began pestering them the moment they stepped into the water. Tank had gotten used to them and ignored the bites. Another soldier growled in annoyance as they swarmed at his face and uncovered arms. Tyler swatted at them and nearly fell into the cloudy water several times.
"Shit, is this like a mosquito breeding ground?" Another soldier, Mike, remarked in exasperation.
"Well, they do lay eggs in still water, which this swamp is." Tyler replied quietly before clapping his hands on another mosquito.
Mike sighed. "That was a rhetorical question, smartass."
"What the hell is this?" Tank asked no one, approaching a gate. At the top it had several spikes and some wires hung from the bottom of them. The gate seemed to have no purpose. It wasn't a door and nothing could be a threat at the top. "Damn Japs. Wonder what insane experiments they have in here."
"This is a recon mission…we're not supposed to investigate." The other soldier noted, approaching the sergeant and the gate.
"No shit. I'm the one leading this; I think I know what I'm doing. I don't see anyone here, so that means we try to find out what the hell happened." Tank replied while scouting the sides of the building. "There's a door over here!" He called out to the others while pushing it open.
"There's a switch over here," The soldier, Jake, pointed out next to the mysterious spiked gate.
"Do you see any marines?" Tank asked, while pointing his gun inside the dark building.
"No, not yet."
"Then shut up." He turned on the flashlight attached to his gun and continued inside. The place was completely abandoned. A lone fire burned dully in the corner of one room next to another door. Chairs and desks were knocked over and papers were still scattered across the wooden floor.
Noticing a set of stairs from the corner of a doorway, Tank signaled for his group to follow him and remain silent. Turning into the room, he pointed his gun at the stairs. There was a light, but no other signs of life yet. He began climbing the set of steps.
The room was empty. "Okay what the hell…this is creepy shit." He muttered to himself, looking at the lit lamps placed on shelves in the room. The three windows he could see were barricaded heavily with planks of wood. The room was just as displaced as the downstairs. Looking above him, he noticed the entire roof was missing, saving a few pieces of splintered wood.
"Hey! Anyone there?" He called out, holding his gun up in defense. The floor beneath him began to creak eerily. He walked past a shelf and looked around.
He looked up. "Oh God…"
"What is it?" Tyler asked in concern. His leader was staring at something ahead of him with his head tilted slightly back. He had lowered his gun tentatively.
"Dempsey! What the hell are ya looking at?" Mike shouted, walking over to him.
"It's Peter." Tank answered carefully. "He's dead." Mike walked over and noticed the body swinging from the rope hung over a remaining plank of wood.
"He hung himself...no shit." Mike muttered. He raised his gun to prod at the swaying feet above.
"Would you show some respect for the dead?" Dempsey hissed at the soldier.
"You're the one always mutilating the dead Japs." Mike replied in contempt while lowering his gun the ground.
"Peter's a marine if you forgot asshole." Tank growled at him angrily.
"Hey, ah, Sergeant!" Tyler called out. He was staring out a window at something in the distance.
"What is it?" Tank asked, turning away from his deceased friend.
"Do you know what that thing is out there? I mean, it's glowing. Pretty big too. Definitely not normal."
Tank walked over to the boarded window Tyler stood at. Wind blew in from the outside, chilling the two soldiers despite the blistering Japanese heat. Through the hastily barred window, he could see something glowing an ominous green in the distance. It was at the edge of the swamp and past a barbed fence. From what he could see, it was a boulder or a meteor.
"I have no fuckin' idea."
Japanese Tunnel System – Some Island, Japan
The captain carefully brought the dusty cloth over the lightly scathed blade of his katana. He rubbed away the scratches on the metal that reflected the dull candlelight beside him. The soldiers he commanded sat near him, discussing the war and their families around the small fire. The captain normally withdrew from the social gatherings, preferring to look after his uniform and weapons rather than chat. His uniform was dusty from the current living space, but it was the most well-kept in the group. One patch he refused to clean the blood off of read, "Cpt. Takeo Masaki".
On the surface, it was almost dusk on the island. But in the tunnels, it was always dark. The lamps and fire the soldiers brought in fought away the shadows, but in the past has also attracted the enemy. Light was scarcely used among the Imperial Army that resided in the tunnels, but Takeo allowed his regiment to dismiss the rules. The island he and his soldiers helped guard held an airbase the Americans were sure to attack soon.
"Captain, would you like some pineapple?" A soldier offered him, holding out a slice of the rare fruit. Takeo paused and looked over at the food.
"No, I will eat later," he replied quietly and turned back to polishing his seldom used weapon. When the soldier turned away and went back to conversing with the soldiers, Takeo looked up and watched them. Some of them took out photos of their wives or family heirs to talk and boast about.
Takeo had nothing to share. His family was his wife and son, but he never saw them. He spent the majority of his life in the military with the mindset that he was carrying on the samurai traditions in his family bloodline. He only married in order to have a child that could follow in his footsteps. He never thought of them much, he didn't care for them. What Takeo cared most for was his honor.
He hated it. But he was taught endlessly that he needed to do what was right for his family, his honor, and his ancestors. The only people he aspired to please were dead and he only joined the war in hope to find some meaning in his life.
So far the only things he had seen were death. And he enjoyed it. Every kill brought him more malicious bliss along with every bloodstain on his suit he had washed off. It was places like this island that bored him into depression.