A/N: I just thought this would be a fun idea to pursue, the story will be quite dark but there will also be some family fluff to balance it out because I'm not completely heartless.
Enjoy!
Chapter 1 – the prelude
The Falkland Islands, 2nd April 1982
The red lights flew up, illuminating the black sky, tinting the barren hills with an eerie glow of red. The rhythmic crackle of gunfire and mortars reverberated on the moors and in the air as the meagre resistance put up by the soldiers was soon crushed under the might of the invading force. The cold wind whipped and howled; no trees or bushes to catch it, no refuge or shelter for any living organism that should seek it. The scream of a missile pierced the veil of the night, the red flame illuminating the countryside yet again before slamming into its target, a sickening boom being the register of its deployment. The fighting went throughout the night, the encroaching argentine forces eventually overwhelming the small station or royal marines on the island.
"Ed! Get up! We're being invaded!" the younger brother cried to the elder.
Edward rubbed his eyes and got up from the low lying bed, the sunlight just peaking through the windows as the radio crackled in the kitchen. "I swear matt, if this is one of your pranks you'll end up in the well" Edward replied, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Luke; get up!" Matthew said, his 12 year old voice breaking here and there from the strain of him alerting his brothers. The Clansman radio beside his bed crackled into life as he pulled on the earphones to listen in.
"Echo Delta one five, this is Ulster six, do you copy over"
"Ulster six this is echo delta one five, reading you loud and clear over"
"Echo delta one five this is Ulster six, do you have any information on the current positions of the invasion force over"
"Negative Ulster six over"
"Alpha Charlie, this is Ulster six, FDA meeting at 09:00 hours at Longdon valley out"
Edward got up and threw some clothes on, light green trousers with camouflage pants and a British army insignia over his heart.
"Matthew, Luke, FDA meeting in half an hour hurry up!" he shouted up the stairs.
The two younger brothers came running down the stairs, each dressed in similar attire to their brother as they were each in the cadet association. Each one planted a kiss on their mother at the kitchen table, her glazed eyes staring intently at a corner of the room.
The trio made their way to the valley, a craggy outcrop that provided shelter was the set meeting point for the cadets in an emergency. The previous time it had been used was when their headquarters was hit with a fire and nearly destroyed five years ago. The senior officer was standing there, the major of the battalion and one of only three adults present.
"Staff sergeant Brenner, where were you?" the major asked, looking at his watch.
"The wires connecting our house had been destroyed by mortar fire in the night, I only found out what was going on when corporal smith radioed me this morning sir"
Giving a side glance to Edward, the major decided to leave it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as I am sure you are aware; a huge invasion force has arrived on our shores and overwhelmed the Royal Marines garrison at moody brook. I can assure you this force is no minor battalion but an entire army. Therefore in the interest of safety, we have decided to surrender. No offensive action shall be taken against them, we shall wait for the British taskforce to arrive and then work with them. I don't want any of you doing anything stupid."
His speech was met with shouts of protest, one cadet remarking about how he didn't know he had French blood.
"We have some of the finest chemists in the empire!" a cadet remarked.
"And some of the best electricians!"
"And marksmen!"
"Lads, there is no argument about this, your safety is paramount and I will not risk that!" the major shouted above the roar. "You are all dismissed"
The NCO's of the cadets met in a corner whilst the younger ones were walking away.
"We aren't going to follow his orders are we?" John said; he was a strong built corporal and one of Edward's closest friends.
"Like hell we are" Edward replied. "I'll start making the 'fireworks' and you get the guns from HQ, we can't win conventionally but we can do some damage if we learn from our Irish friends back home, I'll radio you when I get the supplies and we will meet on top of twin sisters at 9PM tonight, my house is out of the way of everyone so we can stash the stuff there, I doubt we will get searched." Edward finished, with nods of agreement from the other cadets and his brothers.
The sky shifted from a bright crystal blue to a deep mauve as the sun set on the first day of the occupation, slipping casually behind the veil of the black ocean. Red flashlights illuminated the barren peak of the small mountain as the twenty or so rebels gathered.
"Ten SLR's from the barracks, full sets of ammunition" John said, dumping a canvas bag onto the floor.
"Electrical wires and switches scavenged from some old farmhouses" a younger cadet piped up, adding a smaller bag to the wires.
The chorus of supplies were trailed off for over an hour, Edward taking careful note of all the supplies.
"Right, I'll take all the stuff for making explosives as I'm the chemist, the guns will be distributed evenly so they don't all get confiscated and the other supplies will also get distributed as well. The first attack will be on a roadblock just north of Stanley, We'll place a pipe bomb under one of their vehicles and detonate it remotely, it should cause them to investigate it by which time we will be able to steal their supplies and be off with them.
The group nodded in agreement. Edward sighed once again, taking in the view of the sprawled out OS map on the muddy floor.
"May God help us"
The day of the attack came, the group of friends had spent the week preparing everything and communicating using their radios, the only difference being they were speaking in code. The assault started when two of the younger ones threw rocks at the barricade to distract the men there, unwilling to become any more unpopular with the residents, the troops didn't dare firing on them but instead ran after them, trying to scare them away. Luke, Edward's youngest brother ran out with the small bag in his hand and threw it underneath one of the vehicles in the blockade before running away. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, his lungs burning with the effort before hiding in a shallow ditch in the ground, the device ominously standing still underneath the vehicle.
"The device is planted Ed, let it off" Luke said breathlessly down the cheap radio he bought for the mission.
"Hold it still, I'll wait a while longer" Ed replied over the crackly radio. Luke waited and saw the two men coming back to the blockade,
"Now Ed!" Luke cried over the radio.
The two men got into the car seemingly oblivious to the package underneath them. Then all of a sudden a huge fireball erupted from underneath the vehicle, enveloping the driver's side with flames, the shockwave tearing it to pieces and sending a charred body through the roof of the vehicle. Luke's eyes widened in shock as the realization hit him.
He had murdered those people, two soldiers just doing their job now lay smouldering on the tarmac of the road.
"What the fuck!" He heard Matthew shout down the radio, the three being interconnected.
"You said you wanted to fight" the sinister voice of Edward came down the radio.
"That is true, but still" Matthew complained, all while Luke's eyes widened in shock.
"Do you think they would've showed mercy for mama?" Edward said down the radio "they would've taken her away and done God knows what with her!" he shouted, making Luke's heart beat faster.
"She would've been defenceless, she's getting worse by the day, and you know how recently we've had to help her get into bed now. Her illness is worsening every second."
"I know, the radio crackled, and you're right; we need to get our hands dirty to protect our home and family, right Luke?"
"Yeah... Right" Luke said, eyes still staring at the smouldering corpses on the road, now being dragged away by an officer as more troops arrived to support.
In the following days, the attacks came thick and fast ranging from spray painting "God save the queen" on an argentine destroyer to bombing another checkpoint.
"We need to do a full scale offensive on their base" Matthew said, clad in his green camouflage on the hill.
"We don't have the numbers" Alex replied, another corporal from the battalion.
"I'm not talking taking it and holding the place, just attacking and doing as much damage as possible before getting out again"
"Guerrilla warfare" john commented.
"Exactly" Matthew replied, throwing his hands in the air. "All we need is to plant a couple of bombs and when they come out to investigate, we open fire"
"And what if they fire back?"
"That's why we will be wearing our Kevlar and helmets" Matthew responded, covering for his idea.
"I think it's a good idea" a sergeant replied, crossing his arms, we will attack tomorrow night and use the night as cover to set up. The British should arrive within a week so we need to do as much damage to soften them up or at least scare the conscripts enough to surrender.
"True, all those who wish to take part raise your hand" Edward said, the official leader of the group as he had the highest rank.
19 out of twenty raised their hands.
"I am a medic, I will be there to support you but I won't fire a single round" the dissenter announced.
The trap was set; two packages had been hidden near the entrance of the barracks and the group was waiting for the sun to set once more. In an abandoned warehouse, they started to gear up. Clad in a deep green camouflage, they took hunting rifles, the SLR's they had stolen and any other firearm they could get hold of. On top of that, Molotov cocktails and homemade grenades were placed in the webbing and pockets of the boys, each ready to take on the invading force. The group left, skirting behind a ridge as cover, the night being illuminated by the odd star.
"They've tripled the security since the Vulcan bombed the runway last week" a lance corporal commented to Alex.
"Good, the more the merrier" he replied, cocking the assault rifle in his hands and pointing it towards the base, looking down the scope.
"Are we good?" a voice crackled over the radio.
"Affirmative positions all present and correct" as thumbs up were signalled along the ridge.
On cue, the two packages explosive with great force, tearing the entrance apart and shattering windows for miles around. An ominous yellowy green cloud rose from the blast site as the fireball disappeared.
"What the hell did you put in there?" John asked on the radio.
"My usual mix with an added ingredient" Edward cryptically replied.
A solider ran to the scene, immediately falling down and clutching his throat as he breathed in the cloud.
"Now that's messed up Ed" Matthew said over the radio "gas is bang out of order".
"Too late now" he coldly replied.
"The plume cleared, a further three soldiers being dragged away from the scene, retching and holding their burning throats.
"Ready" a voice crackled over the radio as the 19 or so boys cocked their rifles.
"Fire" the order was succinct. The hillside erupted with flashes of gunfire, their crackles echoing over the sleepy town below. The first rounds hit the troops inspecting the site, twisting their bodies as the force of lead meeting flesh spun them around and made them slump onto the cold floor. Returning fire added to the frenzy as the attack continued, crimson blood now seeping over the road entry. One cadet threw a Molotov cocktail at a wall concealing some soldiers, the screams and flames indicating it had been a direct hit. A machine gun opened fire and landed bullets dangerously close to the firing positions of the cadets. It was promptly silenced by Matthew, armed with a 'borrowed' hunting rifle from a farmer. Alex continued firing at the blockade, a group of five being cut down by fire as they ran to support the enemy troops. Red tracer rounds flew up towards them, making him duck in anticipation for the ensuing rifle fire, one bullet hit his shoulder, the searing pain making him cry out, alerting the medic to come to him.
"Shit, Shit, and Shit" he shouted, his arm numb from the pain shooting down his arm and filling his body. The medic tried as best as he could to wrap a bandage round his shoulder to stem the bleeding but it was no use, leaning forward so the medic could help him better, a bullet glanced off of the ground immediately in front of him and entered his head, killing Alex instantly. The medic took up his rifle, throwing the body aside and joined in with the firing, adrenaline and anger pumping through his veins as his lifeless friend lay close by. A further ten minutes of firing continued, machine gun fire being silenced by the odd rifle shot ringing out across the plain.
"When you get the signal make a runner" the radio crackled.
"They'll kill us outright, the rifle fire is too thick" Luke replied, bullets whizzing just above him.
"There's a distraction" the radio reassured. As if on cue, a second explosion erupted from the camp, triggering a cease in the firing.
"Run!" the radio commanded, as every cadet turned and fled down the slope disappearing from view behind the ridge. They continued to run, weapons in hand towards a group of dense bushes at the base tracers lighting up the sky behind them. The howl of mortar made each of the boys; now men, dive on instinct. The explosion made the ground shake as the ringing in their ears indicated how close it was. From the sky, body parts began to fall. More mortars were fired, landing precariously close to the retreating boys just as they made it to the cover, using a ditch as shelter from the flying fragments of metal. After what seemed like an eternity the mortar fire stopped and shouts in Spanish could be heard as the pursuit began. They left the covert and continued to run, their lungs burning and their throats raw from exhaustion. Behind them, six bodies lay blown to pieces in the field from the devastatingly accurate mortar fire. Up the hill they ran, the familiar crackle and thuds of nearby rounds accompanying them all the way up. Behind the hill someone shouted "scatter" and the group dispersed, using any land they could as cover from the fire.
Luke and Matthew slammed the door behind them, throwing the rifles and firearms in the hidden chest below the floor. They ran upstairs and checked on their crippled mother before taking off their camouflage and throwing that too in the hidden compartment.
"Where's Edward?" Luke said, worried for his eldest brother.
"I don't know, he must have gone a different way" Matthew replied.
The door slammed open, revealing a panting Edward with blood coming from his stomach.
"Hit" was all he said before collapsing on the floor, his brothers rushing to him with Matthew throwing his arm over his shoulder and carrying him into the bedroom of the one storey house.
He ripped off the bloody uniform and threw it under the bed as he inspected the deep black wound in Ed's navel. Luke gave him the emergency aid kit as he took the bloodied uniform, webbing and rifle and stashed them in the hidden chest.
"Is the bullet still in?" Matthew asked his elder brother putting some latex gloves on and taking out some pliers. A weak nod from Edward was his only response.
"Luke, I want you to sit on his chest and keep his mouth shut, use this rag to give him something to bite on" Matthew told his younger brother, as he climbed onto Edward's chest, obscuring the wound from his sight.
Matthew took the tweezers and inserted them into the wound, a groan from Edward showing the intense pain he was feeling. The metal tweezers found something hard and metallic as he fidgeted with them, the occasional jerk from the body making it hard to latch onto, eventually the grip tightened and he pulled out the offending metal, leaving a pool of blood seeping out of the wound as an indication it was all out.
"Alcohol Luke, Now!" he half shouted, as he took the bottle of whiskey and dabbed the gauze in it before stuffing the wound with the soaked one, making Ed scream in a high pitch before his body went limp. Matthew continued packing the wound with gauze to stem the blood flow before using a bandage ad wrapped round his stomach with bandages to seal the wound properly.
Matthew poured a large glass of whiskey and went to give it to a hazy Edward, before stopping suddenly.
"This is for me for saving your life" he chuckled as the glare from the elder bore into his eyes.
"Screw you" Edward croaked.
"Here you are" Matthew responded, pouring the calming drink down Ed's throat, Luke raising his head slightly so that he didn't choke. After the last of the drink slipped away, Ed fell limp and into a deep sleep.
"How did he get shot?" Matt asked
"I saw him go back for Mark, it might've been then in that field as they came over the top, probably why he was late as well"
"Yeah" matt replied, the mood growing sombre.
He poured two glasses of whiskey before giving the smaller one to his brother.
"To the queen" He said, raising the glass to his brother.
"The queen" Luke replied, before sipping the golden liquid, immediately coughing and spluttering, much to the amusement of Matt.
"You've just fought in an actual battle, with actual soldiers and still you can't drink" Matt said, laughing lightly as the mood of the room lightened.
"Hey, at least I'm not the one who got dumped for a retard" this earned Luke a punch in the shoulder off of matt. "Hey, your words not mine" he replied, taking another offending sip of whiskey, yet again coughing and wheezing as a result.
Two months later.
The group of boys met for the first time in over four months at their local cadet headquarters, with seven faces notably missing.
"You did well boys, I could have you all shot for directly disobeying my orders, but the folks back home seem it fit that you each get a medal for your heroism or stupidity, I can't really tell which" the major said, eliciting a chuckle out of the boys.
"either way, can Luke, Matthew and Edward Brenner as well as John smith step forward, all four of you have been awarded the Victoria cross for your exceptional stupidity, naturally the army doesn't want this getting out too much as it will paint them in a good light so they want a quiet ceremony. Either way, here you go." The major handed the boys small black boxes containing black crosses attached to maroon ribbons with their names and the date inscribed on them. Each saluted before returning to the ranks. "Furthermore as, somehow, you lot are technically in the armed forces, you all get the south Atlantic medal for your action" he handed out several black boxes to each of the boys in the line.
"And finally, as you are surely aware, staff sergeant Brenner here showed exceptional courage here in the field and so it is my great honour to appoint him company sergeant major" he handed Edward a cloth rank slide with a crown in a wreath on it.
"Troop dismissed" the major barked, each swivelling, saluting and leaving the door behind them.
2 years later
The funeral was short and sweet, her being buried in the Stanley cemetery near to where they had fought those years ago. It was a serene place, one of the few trees on the island standing tall in the wind, creaking softly as its leaves danced in the breeze. The coffin was lowered down into the ground, as the three boys stood at the foot of the grave, all in their smart green uniform, medals gleaming on their chest.
"What now?" a fourteen year old Luke asked the others.
"I didn't want to tell you until after, but I received a letter from father" the eldest replied.
"And..?" Matthew said, not taking his eyes off the coffin at the bottom of the hole where there mother laid in.
"He said he's finished his project and has work for us, considering we're all doing so well at school we can stay there and if we perform well enough at their school we can be let on to work in his lab should we please"
"So we are going to live with our father who abandoned us and our terminally ill mother when we were children? Great." Matthew said the bitterness evident in his voice.
"That's unfair, you know he works for the government in America and he had to work on the project that was very dangerous, that's why he sent us here, so we could be safe"
"Look where that got us" Luke said
"It's our only option, unless you want to go into care?" Edward said, glaring at his younger brothers.
"All I'm saying is; give him a chance" Edward said, letting out a sigh of frustration.
"Where does he even live now?" Matthew asked
"He lives somewhere in America, it's a nice place you'll like it, Hawkins Indiana I think"
"Sounds peachy can't be as exciting as this place though can it?"
"Honestly mate, I would take a boring life right about now"
"Hawkins it is then" Luke said
"Agreed?" asked Edward.
"Agreed." the other two simultaneously responded.
"Time to visit our father then" Edward stated, turning away from the grave site as the white cross that was the only earthly reminder of their mother stood to attention in the peat earth of the cemetery, the grave diggers shovelling the stuff onto the coffin, hiding it from the sight of the boys.
"Hawkins it is then" Matthew mumbled, before turning away from the grave himself, leaving Luke to watch as the final piles of dirt were unceremoniously dumped onto the grave.
Cue stranger things theme.
A/N please let me know in the comments whether you liked this or not, I know it doesn't have any of the actual ST characters in it as of yet but that was the back story behind the new characters I'm introducing and I felt as though if we didn't put it at the start it would lose something in terms of how the story developed and played through (at least in my mind that is) please review and tell me what you would like to see because at the moment I'm just exploring an idea that came into my head one day. Thanks for reading! (And I'm sorry for inflicting a 4000 word chapter on you).