The Tiger wasted no time in unleashing hell upon the two and fired a shell from its 88mm flak gun with a resounding thud as the cannon fired.
Mike had his eyes closed tightly, he heard the cannon go off so why were they not dead yet? He felt El tremble beside him but the only thing that could be heard was the splattering of rain drops upon the surface of the Earth. Mike risked it and cracked one eye open before both shot open in a flurry of surprise and shock.
El stood with her arm raised and there floating in front of them was the shell from the Tiger, it took a second for Mike to realise that the damn thing was floating in front of their very eyes. El's eyes were open and doe eyed in shock as she looked at her arm in disbelief. She knew she could do these things since she floated the grenades to her when they were being chased by the Waffen-SS but this was something new altogether, she had stopped a shell that would travel at 840 metres per second when fired.
And there it was floating, El experimentally moved her arm from left to right and the shell followed her movements, she looked down to her arms, not knowing the power that was currently coursing through her, simply waiting to be summoned into service. Mike just looked on in astonishment, lost for words.
El drew her arm back and the shell followed her. She flung her palm outward hard and the shell obeyed and shot straight into the Tiger just underneath the Turret ring. Unable to resist its own firepower the Tank groaned in protest as the Tank found itself disabled with its main gun out of commission. Blood dripped freely from El's nose.
Mike took the lapse of concentration to grab El's arm and drag her into the recently made shell crater. As the enemy were shook out of their stupor they opened fire but it was already a futile effort as they could not be hit inside the crater, Mike cocked his MP40 and peaked out the crater returning fire.
El did the same with her MP40, they had the advantage of being in good cover whereas the enemy was out in open which was never a good place to be when under-fire. Mike smiled a little allowing himself to believe just for a moment that they might actually pull this off.
"GRANATE!" One solider shouted and Mike immediately looked up to see a stick grenade flying through the air towards their nifty little bit of cover. Mike immediately dove on top of El shielding her from any potential fragments of shrapnel as the grenade exploded mere inches form the craters edge. Thankfully there was no shrapnel to be seen.
Soon enough they sent the last remnants of the Wehrmacht running as the last of the Waffen-SS were killed. Their necks snapped by El, El made to snap their necks too but Mike held up a hand and pointed to them, she realized they were running away. She figured that they were just like Mike, forced to follow orders. Her Attention turned to the Tiger that had managed to orientate itself to face their direction once more, despite the turret ring being damaged, both her hands flew forwards and she felt the power scoop itself underneath the Tank and lift it into the air, it fired another shell in a futile response to stop them, it flew safely over their heads and straight into the barrier on the border making a very definitive hole.
Her gazed hardened as she saw the two lightning bolts of the SS upon the side and she clenched her fist together. The sound of ripping metal filled their ears as she crushed the Tank in on itself. Along with that the munitions inside which could no longer handle the stress and promptly exploded. El let the hunk of Metal fall to the ground in a smoking heap. She sighed as she fell to her knee's, blood pouring out of her ears now as well.
Mike let his own weapon clatter to the floor as it was now useless and the last remnant of a past he no longer wished to remember, he too fell to his knee's and wrapped his arms around El in loving hug. She moved her mouth up to his ear.
"It finally over, isn't it?" she whispered to him, it sent shivers downs his spine as he pulled back and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Yes, I think so, El." Mike said with a small knowing smile.
They walked back through to Switzerland and never looked back.
A week later they found themselves in America with citizenship and refugee status considering El was an escapee and Mike was a traitor to the Reich, he was promptly questioned by the US Army for intelligence which Mike was happy to answer giving them useful and critical intelligence.
An elderly couple had dropped them off outside the town they were moving too, the house was already bought and furnished and they had no personal effects on them.
They stood together, hands clasped as they starred at the sign to their new home, both of them thankfully were fluent in English, it was how they were able to communicate through the bond they shared.
Something about the sign felt strange to the both of them like it was familiar.
WELCOME TO HAWKINS, INDIANA.
Mike smiled despite himself and where he turned his head to face her to only find her looking at him with huge brown eyes, full of hope and dreams and unspoken promises.
"I never thought I would fall in love with a German" she said quietly, looking at their intertwined fingers. Mike used his free hand to tilt her head up to look into his eyes.
"I never thought I would fall in love with a Russian" he said before moving forward to press his lips to hers and she melted into it with a soft gasp. The couple that was full of hope, desire, dreams and now a future stood outside Hawkins, unbeknownst to them that destiny would always lead them here no matter what universe or time they found themselves in.
June 6th 1944 came and went, Mike paced up and down in their home, worried for Dustin who last he heard was still at Normandy, D-Day had begun. Mike asked the Army to bring back any news about Dustin. The days passed and Mike found out to his relief that Dustin had surrendered and was safe, a prisoner of war but safe nonetheless.
World War II ended on May 8th 1945. Mike learned to his utter despair and grief that his Parents were killed by a Greifkommando squad during the Battle of Berlin. El held him as he wept uncontrollably into her shoulder. She closed her eyes at the brutality of it all. Their bond was aflame with grief, she sent soothing waves across to him before his cries became sniffles and he fell asleep his face peacefully resting in the crook of her shoulder as she stroked his jet black hair.
They went to a place outside of Berlin for the funeral, both of them being buried in Munich where they first fell in love. Mike could not bare to return to the war torn city. He would never return to Berlin.
El asked if they could visit her village whilst they were in Europe and Mike agreed where she too found her fathers grave in the rebuilt village, miraculously the Belinski boys had survived the destruction of their home but barely as one of them was now missing an eye.
Upon the grave it read.
Jim Hopper.
Born November 15th 1900
Died September 1942
Aged 41
Loving Father and Trusted Friend. Defender of the Motherland.
She fell to her knees where Mike wrapped her in a tight and caring hug. She wiped the tears away with a shaky breath and moved closer to the grave.
"Hi papa" she said fighting back tears that were threatening to fall. "I fought on like you said, I never gave up, I wish you could of met Mike, he saved me" she said quietly, head bowed towards the grave. Hoping for some sort of sign for his approval but seeing none she stood up and glanced to the headstone once more before slowly walking out of the small graveyard. Mike watched her go with a forlorn gaze before he himself turned back towards the grave.
"Hello sir, um I wish we could have had the chance to meet, El told me so many stories about the two of you" his head turned away to spot El waiting outside the graveyard for him before he turned once more to the gravestone. "I promise you sir that I will defend and love your daughter to the ends of the Earth, you have my word" he said his fist clenched in his vow to keep her safe.
Mike swore he caught the whiff of cigarette smoke invading his nostrils before turning away to catch up with El. Mike gave a quick glance back, something plaguing his mind.
"El did your father smoke?" he asked, she looked at him with a small frown.
"Yes, all the time, why do you ask" she asked looking at him
"No reason, come on let's go" he said taking her hand in his, Mike wore a small discreet smile to himself.
The stayed in the village for a Week, Mike got up early in the morning leaving notes for El, telling her he would be back soon every time he would come back with nothing. With a small dejected look on his face until on the final day of that week he came trudging through the snow with a worn out but triumphant look upon his features he carried a long box underneath his arm.
She pestered him about it for days on what was inside, but he wasn't saying anything, he simply would reply that it was for her birthday where El would let out a small puff and pout at him, which nearly worked every time but Mike was able to hold his resolve.
Until the day of her birth on November 6th.
He handed her the box that morning back in Hawkins, a small smile played on her lips as she took the package from his gangly limbs and was surprised by the weight of it, what exactly in the hell was in this box? She thought to herself, she looked at him just before opening the box to see a look of tentativeness adoring his features and even a twinkle in his eye.
She slowly opened the box.
She gasped.
The lid of the box hit the floor, forgotten about.
As El reached with trembling Hands into the box and lifted out a Mosin-Nagant 1981 Bolt Action Rifle but her eyes brimmed with tears as she looked at the rifle up and down noticing the piece of metal was that dangling from the trigger guard.
A bullet casing.
She glanced to the side of the rifle to see a name inscribed upon the wooden stock of the weapon, a name that she had carved onto it when she was thirteen years old.
Eleanor Hopper.
Her eyes flew up to Mike's who had a small smile on his face at her emotional reaction. She carefully placed the rifle back into the box before flying at Mike fiercely kissing him with every ounce of love in her soul, happy tears cascading down her cheeks, she wrapped her legs round his waist, pressing her body into his before Mike walked backwards slowly into the bedroom.
Their son was conceived that very same day.
Nathaniel Jim Wheeler was born August 12th 1946.
Elyse Karen Wheeler was born July 30th 1948.
May 2nd 1949
Mike sat in his study carefully using a typewriter. His brow focused as he was set upon completing the work that he had been writing for nearly three years, the final page had only a few lines left. El quietly opened the door and closed it the same way as to not disturb Mike and to not wake the children who were now fast asleep.
She placed a small kiss onto his cheek, he smiled before reaching round giving her a deep kiss in return before returning to the typewriter finishing the last of the words, he carefully placed the final page onto the pile before letting out a tired and relieved sigh.
"So you finally finished?" she asked a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
"Yes finally" he stated "I had to alter a few things, mostly things that involved your powers" he said rubbing at his left eye tiredly.
She simply nodded in response "Have you thought of a title?" she asked again, he nodded before placing a fresh page into the typewriter and typing away, she waited patiently before he handed her the paper and her eyes roved down the few words that were printed there.
Of Reich, Regret and Redemption.
Based on the true story of Eleanor and Mike Wheeler.
She looked up to Mike who wore a tired yet satisfied smile. She placed the page onto the pile and walked over to him placing her arms around his shoulders as his snaked around her waist. They could not resist the pull as they ended kissing the other, never wanting to end the passion they felt for the other.
Mike, The German Soldier. A Man who wanted nothing to do with the Reich. Who fell in complete and maddening love with a Russian.
Eleanor, The Russian Prisoner. A Woman who was as fierce as the Motherland. Who's heart was captivated by that of a German.
They were free. They were together. They were forever.
They Were Destiny.
FIN.
(A/N) boom and I am done lol you honestly didn't think I was going to kill them at the end? Lol its not like I have ever done that before… (walks off whistling nonchalantly) lol
But yeah now I can start work on the Sequel to Beauty of Annihilation. Hopefully should have the first chapter out by Monday maybe even sooner but it depends on inspiration and motivation lol
As always guys review! And until next time, peace!