Note: sorry for the late posts its just that the holidays were a time for me take a little break and i hope you readers enjoyed this series. Please let me know your thoughts in the reviews so i can make the story better in a way and please be honest as any review helps.
January 2nd 1945
Crossroads, 5 km away from Malmedy
1130 Hours
An mechanized column of Liberion and Kampfgruppe Peiper's tanks rushes forward through a snow covered road and following them in unison were witches from the 10th Liberion Armored Division overhead amongst them was Lieutenant Amy Belova. The lead tank in the column was a M18 Hellcat nicknamed "thunder kid" on its side armor followed by two tanks of the same variant from behind.
"All tanks i don't see any activity but keep an eye out, the Neuroi might pop out." the lieutenant on the thunder kid said on his radio.
"Don't you think we shoulda done that earlier Lt?" Joey- the gunner said as he lit a cigar.
"Shut up, we need everybody to stay alert once we get near there." the lieutenant said.
"Just sayin Lt because we should been alert from the start if you're wondering it woulda been helluva lot safer." Mike-the loader said.
"Just focus on staying alert will ya? And hey! no smoking in the tank." the lieutenant said as he took Joe's cigar tossing it towards the snow.
Lieutenant Maxwell Kaminski is a veteran from the 6th Amrored Division seeing combat in North Africa up towards D-day alongside his crew and their tank "thunder kid". He is of half Ostmark descent from his mother's side and Liberion from his father's side raised in the upper rich class neighborhood of New york city. Despite his rich background he fought twice as hard equally alongside his crew proven when his tank previously a sherman single handedly stopped a Neuroi attack towards a medical train at Kasserine pass through his leadership and coordination skill.
"Hey i spotted something over there!" Vic-the Assistant Driver said as he pointed towards a reflecting shiny object in the snow.
"Come on vic this isn't the time to look for souvenirs! Keep your eyes peeled." Mitchell- The driver said as he kept his eyes on the roads.
"Wait..stop stop!" Max said as he tapped on the turret grinding the hellcat to a halt before he stepped down with a Thompson in hand. Amy and another witch saw the lieutenant stepping out and proceeded to cover him scanning the nearby brushes and trees.
Max with his rifle in hand picked up the object from the ground which is revealed to be a set of dogtags and as he looked up towards the pair of witches hovering above him, he noticed that their faces are frozen with shock.
"Whats the matter ladies?" Max said before finally he realised that he is standing over a field of frozen corpses buried under the snow and the dogtags he took was from the corpse of a Liberion infantryman.
Soon not long after the soldiers and medics attached to the column began to dig and find the corpses of their fellow soldiers. Liberion,Karlslander,Britannian,Gallian and Orussian soldiers were amongst the dead and from the looks of how they died without weapons it became clear that they were executed and massacred. Soon it didn't take long for the news of the Horrified incident to spread towards the Men and women stationed in Europe eventually reaching Supreme Allied Headquarters and General Eisenhower himself.
Lounge area ,Beauvechain Airfield
1330 Hours
The girls from the 501st were steadily relaxing and were seem to be unaware of the situation as Yoshika and Lynette read a book at the couch, Francesca is fast asleep and Shirley is reading a manual on how a P-51 engine works, Trude,Erica,Eilla and Sanya were trying something new by dealing playing cards but Perrine is nowhere to be seen as she is still in Gallia. The peacefulness was interrupted when Colonel Minna and Mio burst into the room as a look of dread and sorrow spreaded amongst their faces.
"What is it Ma'am?" Yoshika said with a confused look followed by the looks of everyone in the room towards the two.
"Ladies i'm afraid that we have terrible news." Minna said with a heavy heart giving a worrisome look from the girls.
"Whats the news?" Lynette said in a quivering yet clear voice.
"You might have to listen to the radio, they would tell you." Mio said as she turned the radio on and adjusted the frequency.
"This is Armed forces Radio reporting from London. Today Supreme Allied Headquarters reported Allied Combat troops and Aircraft have completely routed the attacking Neuroi Army at the Ardennes Front. Allied troops have discovered the frozen corpses of over a hundred fifty fellow soldiers, taken prisoner then fiendishly executed by their Neuroi Captors. Investigating officers at the nightmarish scene say the massacre happenned at the small crossroads near the Belgican town of Malmedy. General Eisenhower has vowed that the deaths of these men shall not be vain as the Neuroi shall be swiftly dealt with and punished upon war's end." the Radio said as a look of shock freezes over the witches in the room as they felt sorrow and uneasy at the news of how 150 of their fellow soldiers could be executed in such a way.
Crossroads, 5 km away from Malmedy
Lieutenant Kaminski was sitting atop his tank as he looked at the inscription and name towards the dogtags he picked up. The Dog tag reads: "Daniel Morgan-14178865 T-45 AB-Catholic" and Kaminski began to wonder how could someone like him die horribly like this.
"Jesus at least 150 bodies, what man could do something like this?" Joe said perched atop the hellcat turret.
"No man for all i know." Mike said.
"They're aliens right? So it won't matter if we feel bad for killin em." Vic said.
"Got that right. These fuckers killed them like dogs or sheep." Mitchell said.
Some of the young witches attached to the convoy were tramautised by the sight including Lieutenant Belova who hasn't encountered anything severe like this. Kaminski saw her perched near an M3 halftrack and he immediately got up to check on her.
"You alright?" Kaminski said breaking her out of her gaze as she looked at him.
"150 of our men and they're only boys." Amy said as she covered her face.
"We'll get them for this and they won't die in vain. I'm making a promise for these men." Max said as he sat down next to her. Max and Amy go way back to their time in Highschool together in New york despite their different with her being in the middle class and he in the upper class.
1830 Hours
As the corpses of the Soldiers in the massacre are buried with the Liberions buried under the soft tune of "Taps", the Britannians and Gallians under "the Last post", The Karlslanders under "Der gute Kamerad" and finally the Orussians under "How Glorious our lord" accompanied by the Honor Guards from the Various Armies. Chaplains from various faiths gave prayers and spiritual clarity for the fallen servicemen as they are buried underneath the setting sun accompanied by the men and women who discovered them. Lieutenant Belova tearfully looked on at the row after rows of battlefield crosses marking the graves of the soldiers massacred before placing a red poppy flower over a grave marked "CPL. Alex Belova-101st Airborne".
Allied Troops and chaplains at the scene held a memorial service for the dead wishing them a safe passage towards the other side including a speedy end to the war and defeating the Neuroi once and for all. That same night Lieutenant Kaminski sat alone in his hellcat and wrote in his letter for his mother:
" Dear Suzy
Since North Africa i thought i knew about war and how it takes a toll towards men like me. How it just crushes your innocence and takes the lives of young boys just like the ones in Malmedy. Don't worry about me, I'm still in good health and fighting as always especially i am planning to fight harder to get home back to you and Mom.
I'm not sure if any of this will make it past the censors but we have been advancing for several days straight now towards rocherath and i saw it taking a toll on the men that i served with. The Neuroi were pushed back inch by inch and we started to gain lost ground thanks to the support from our Karlsland and Britannian allies but i don't know if its dumb luck or god thats keeping me and my crew alive.
I hope everything back home is going well knowing that i am fighting for you all to be safe and to rid the world of this threat. Is mom doing okay? Are you doing well since i last saw you? you really want to be with me don't you? I hope you becomes a good witch someday, you are so strong and cheerful when i saw you back home.
In your last letter you told me that You wanted to fight in this war and enlist just to look after me truthfully i hope she never comes here after the horrors i saw, Witches here are Angels of course they look out after us during the battles that come. Today i found a dogtag belonging to a young soldier by the name of Daniel Morgan and he was only 18 assigned to 82nd Airborne later then i found out that he had only been in Europe for several days just looking at how he is reminds me of you and i hope that you would understand why you shouldn't be here. Time for us to get some sleep, we're going to find the Neuroi responsible for this tommorow and give mom a kiss for me.
Your dear brother
Max."
As he finished folding the letter and putting it into his pocket, Max made himself comfortable and drifted away to sleep. Amy in the meanwhile still stood next to her brother's grave as she looked up towards the night sky which was illuminated by dancing lights as she soon became lost in thought.
Three years earlier…
November 22nd 1942
Kaminski Household, Upstate New york
2230 Hours
Max was lost in thought as he sat at bench near a small pond in the yard of the Kaminski household at upper class new york as the moon in the night sky shines brightly before his eyes. The house was already asleep but earlier his mother was discussing with him about the news of their older son and suitor enlisting for the war but James paid no attention as he only enlisted to fight for a noble cause which is: to rid the world of the Neuroi threat.
"Are you lost?" a voice called out to him as Max broke out of his gaze and turning to the source of that voice. His younger sister was in her nightgown and covered her top part with a brown blanket as she grasped a small teddy bear on her.
"Oh its you suzy, not really i was just admiring the sky." Max said as he gave her half-hearted smile.
"I heard what you and mom and dad talked about." Suzy said as she sat next to him on the bench looking down.
"Are you really going to Europe to fight?" Suzy said shocking Max with surprise.
"Yes i am and i maybe away for a while." Max said.
"Then...take me with you!" Suzy said as she looked at him tearfully giving him quite a shock.
"As much as i want to, I can't you're only 15 and although you are witch it doesnt seem right for you to go." Max said as he settled her down trying to calm her.
"But you're my only brother! And i need to look after you! Its my duty as your sister! Please take me with you!" Suzy said as she tearfully embraced him subsequently sobbing on his chest as he embraced her.
"Suzy..I'll be home before you know it and i promise you that." Max said embracing her tighter.
"Please.. Don't go..who's going to look after me while you're gone! You're mine!" Suzy said demandedly hugging him tighter.
"Suzy look at me." Max said as he turned her teary face towards his.
"I promise to you from the bottom of my heart that i will write to you whenever i can and i will be home to take care of you and mom." Max said reassuring her a little more.
"Promise me that you'll be home alive.." she holds up her pinky finger and Max smiled crossing his pinky with hers.
"I promise and after all this i won't leave your side." Max hugging her tightly soon thereafter as the moonlight illuminated the both of them.
Present day…
January 3rd 1945
Outskirts of Malmedy
1530 Hours
The armored column set out that morning to the eastwards of Malmedy in search of the Neuroi responsible and all was quiet but the troops were weary as they wanted revenge for their comrades who died unjustly.
"Thunder kid" and a couple of Hellcats accompanied with an Infantry platoon were at the lead of the column as they were scanning the roads and treelines finding out where the Neuroi are hiding.
"See anything?" Kaminski said.
"Not a damn thing here Lt." Joe said looking out with his binos.
Mitchell took a look at the treeline and he spotted something large between the brush and his pupils begin to dillate and he immediately hit the brakes pulling the tank to a stop.
"Treeline! 12 o'clock!" Mitchell yelled out as Kaminski looked through his bino's towards it and he immediately took charge.
"Mike Load High Velocity AP! Target that Neuroi in front of us!" Kaminski said as the crew scrambled turning the 76 mm turret towards the target.
They're guess was right as the Neuroi began to sprang out and fired their Beams towards the column and the soldiers began to duck down for cover and the tanks scrambled to shoot back. Lieutenant Belova and the witches saw the commotion and began to fire at the Neuroi on the ground with Hellfire as she filled with range began to shot her M1 Bazooka at the Neuroi causing it to burn like a candle as the core exploded within the Neuroi tank.
Wilhelm and his King tiger were at the westernmost flank as he too targeted the Neuroi alongside his comrades exchanging shell after shell against the Treeline subsequently destroying at least 6 Neuroi tanks.
Kaminski's Tank destroyer killed at least 4-5 of those tanks as the Treeline soon began to be filled up with smoke and ashes from the destroyed tanks. The infantry attached to the Column began charging towards the Treeline as they ferociously shot back at the Neuroi giving no quarter for them to flee subsequently supported by the Witches in the Air.
"Kill the Bastards!" a Liberion sergeant yelled out as he charged with his platoon firing his thompson at the Neuroi fleeing from the battle.
The allied soldiers fired their various weapons at the retreating Neuroi untill none were seen or left standing as it soon fell silent and the only sounds heard were the burning fires from the destroyed tanks and rumbling sounds of the tank column. However a bazooka shot can still be heard as Lieutenant Belova continued to fire her M1 Bazooka at the wrecked tanks even after she set down off her striker unit.
Kaminski took off his tank and began running towards her as she continued to be filled with range firing at the wrecked Neuroi tanks in the treeline.
"Amy! Stop! You three follow me!" Kaminski said as he ran through the snow followed by some infantrymen.
"NO! THESE BASTARDS KILLED MY BROTHER!" Amy yelled out as she used more of her magic to fire another salvo at the treeline subsequently setting it more on fire.
Kaminski and the infantrymen tried to break her off but she pushed them away firing yet another salvo. They soon ganged up on her and a soldier manages to hold her off her bazooka as Kaminski tried to hold her.
"Amy! Amy! Its over! They're all dead!" Kaminski said as he struggled to hold her.
"NO! I WANT TO MAKE EM PAY! LET ME GO!" Amy yelled out as she struggled more prompting the soldiers to hold her down.
"Amy..you got em all..there's nothing left." Max said as she soon calmed down and got her senses back looking at the burning treeline and the nearly obliterated Neuroi tank that she fired at.
"You made them pay alright but it won't bring your brother at how many you kill." Kaminski said subsequently making her break off from him and her eyes soon tear up filled with rage.
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT LOSS?! My brother was only 18 and he only wanted to be a paratrooper just to look out for me! You wouldn't know what its like because you never lost someone you truly cared about!" Amy said as she lashed out at Kaminski making him look down shamefully.
"You're wrong i know what it's like.." Kaminski said as he set his helmet aside and straighten his patrol cap.
"My father was at Pearl Harbor when this all began." Kaminski said shocking Amy causing her face to freeze with grief and shock.
"He was coming home till a beam got to his car and we found him with a photo of me and my sister in his hands." Kaminski said with a heavy heart, clenching his fist and holding back his tears.
"I know that no matter how many Neuroi that i kill or how many that i shoot down it won't bring him back but i owe it to him to finish this war and let him rest easy knowing that i'm going to rid the world of this threat." Kaminski said as Amy soon looked at him grievingly as their comrades move forward.
"I'm sorry i didn't know." Amy said.
"It won't matter because now you know and you owe it to your brother to finish what he started so lets go and finish it." Kaminski said as he picked his helmet up and walked back towards his tank soon thereafter amy walked to her striker and joined up with her platoon.
"What the hell happenned Lt?" Mitchell said.
"Just drive on and it doesn't matter anyway." Kaminski said as the tank soon drove forward with the rest of the column and infantry.
"Sometimes the odds can determine how you stand and how you fight even if they are not in your favor. In the movies that they show at home we are the heroes, the "fighting men and women" but in reality the heroes are the ones who didn't make it to see the war being over and to me those are the real heroes." Kaminski said in his thoughts as he sees the witch platoon flying overhead and Amy lamenting on his words that he gave her before.
"We're devoted to let them see the end." Kaminski uttered in his thoughts as the column moved past the treeline and into the clear fields of snow.