Before we start, a note: I finally installed the Fanfic/FictionPress app on my phone, and saw some very old PMs people left me from Cold Steel. As I didn't have that method of communication at the time, I was unable to respond, however now that I do, feel free to message me there as well. It'll be easier to respond that way while I'm at work, should I catch the message on one of my 24-hour work days. Also, new cover art, courtesy of the great program that is Men of War Assault Squad 2!

Now, carrying on smartly!

Chapter IX: Respite

"You are about to embark upon a Great Crusade,

Towards which we have striven these many months.

The eyes of the world are upon you."

General Dwight D Eisenhower, Address to D-Day Invasion Forces

Hauptmann Gerhard Koln

2nd Battalion HQ

Dallgow-Doberitz, Berlin

4th May 1945

0612 hours

'No, no, no, no, also no, nope, definitely not that...'

A stack of papers fluttered to the floor as Gerhard dug through a pile of radio messages, looking for any trace of where his command structure may have gone. When they had returned late last night, he'd expected to be swarmed with questions and concerns, both about why his patrol took so long and how a Tiger, crewed by five young Japanese women, was suddenly in their camp. However, they had received nothing: no challenges as they approached, no officer greeting them, not even a young recruit mistaking them for an attack force and sounding the alarm.

The headquarters unit was gone.

Seeing nothing, the officer went over to another table, flipping through the papers there as well. Outside, the rest of the squad stood a vigilant watch, and around the corner, Maho and her crew had their Tiger parked, engine off to avoid attracting any attention from Soviets this early. Around them, the not-too-distant sounds of battle were picking up again, having died with the sunset last night and seeming to come back to life with its rising. He had a feeling that the two matters might be related, but was trying to confirm anything else first.

"Hauptmann!"

Gerhard grumbled as he left the stack of messages behind, drawing his rifle. Stepping outside, he saw Amelia motion to Gunther, who appeared to be talking to a small group of people. Refugees, it looked like. It'd been a while since they'd seen any; perhaps these four would know something. He jogged over and joined Gunther, who looked up as the other man approached and nodded.

Gerhard returned the gesture, then looked around and took in the measure of the four refugees. One appeared to be a standard Wehrmacht soldier, dressed in a very dirty and well-worn gebirgsjager uniform. The other three seemed to be a family of sorts; an older woman, with a young daughter and even younger son, perhaps. The soldier dipped his head in respect to Gerhard's rank and stood aside, resuming his conversation with Gunther while the hauptmann spoke to the older woman. "Good morning ma'am."

"Good morning, sir." she responded, looking around at the squad that was spread out around them. A few were glancing over every now and then, but for the most part, the others were keeping a steady watch. Gerhard saw her looking, and decided to get right to the point. "Have you seen any other troops around, ma'am? Any not evacuating, at least?"

She nodded. "We saw a fair few some five or more kilometers back the way we came." she stated, motioning back to the east. "They rushed us along, more so than usual, and advised us to move during the night until we passed through here. We were in a hotel a few blocks away and were getting back on track just now."

Gerhard nodded in understanding, soaking in the information. Gunther and the other soldier rejoined them, having finished their own discussion. That was good; Gunther would have gotten some more detailed information out of his conversation. The German captain continued pondering for a few more moments before sighing, looking at the group. "Very well, then, Miss..."

"Schule, sir."

"Miss Schule. Do you need any supplies before you depart?" The older woman appeared hesitant, but eventually nodded. Gerhard and Gunther both pulled out some of their rations, handing them over to the unnamed soldier and Mrs. Weber. Gerhard also relinquished a small bottle of water he'd found, seeing the woman's eyes light up in surprise. "Thank you, sir."

"Of course, ma'am." Gerhard replied, securing his bag and standing up straight again. "Miss Schule, I wish you and your family the best of luck. The Americans are awaiting you on the far side of the River Elbe."

The woman looked around at Gerhard's squad again, and fixed him with an unreadable look. "What about you and your soldaten, captain?"

Gerhard almost faltered, but kept up his professional look. "We'll be alright ma'am. Once we receive the order, we'll retreat as well." The hauptmann looked around at his squad, none of whom would have heard the question, aside from Gunther. "I plan to see to it they all get out of this." Out of the corner of his eye, Gerhard saw his Gunther's eyes widen, a look of surprise flashing across his face momentarily. He saw the same look mirrored on the unknown gebirgsjager's face as well, but the older woman remained stoic and nodded one more time.

"Very well sir. I wish you the best of luck as well."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Miss Schule, escorting her two children, turned and began walking away, back towards the highway. After a moment, the unnamed soldier, who'd said nothing up to this point, looked at Gerhard. "Thank you, sir. For everything you are doing for all of us." With that, the man turned on his heel and made to catch up with the small family, leaving the officer to think over his words. He and Gunther watches as the four disappeared around a corner, and stood still, nothing but the wind making any sound between them for nearly a minute.

"That's a tall order, you know."

Gerhard grinned. "I know." He shifted his weight and looked to his friend. "But it isn't impossible, which means I can do it. After all..." He motioned to the silent Tiger, which now had a couple of curious crewmembers watching them from various hatches. "I've done the impossible twice before."

Gunther sighed, rubbing his forehead before scratching at his growing stubble. "If it weren't for the proof before me, I still wouldn't believe it, you know." Gerhard nodded, completely understanding. The silence fell again as officer and enlisted man both took in the quiet morning, enjoying the few moments of peace while they could. The sun started to peek over the tops of the buildings, bringing light into the small plaza they were in and warming up the cobblestones. 'All in all, a nice morning, I suppose.' Gerhard mulled over the thought, then finally brought his thoughts back to earth and his focus to his second-in-command. "What did that gebirgsjager have to say?"

"Not much." the stabsfeldwebel replied almost instantly. "He mentioned seeing a lot of activity about six or seven kilometers east, and they were rushing through evacuees as quickly as they could. He also mentioned hearing the obvious sounds of combat not far from there, and apparently saw what may have been our headquarters unit there."

Gerhard, taking in the information, pulled out his map, tracing the highway east. He tapped the spot in question a few times, then looked up. "Makes sense. If the Soviets were to attack anywhere, that's the quickest route from their last known positions to the corridor." The hauptmann folded the map up and stowed it away, unslinging his rifle as his mind started producing various courses of action. "We'll have to be quick if we want to support the lines, but..." Gerhard trailed off as his eyes made contact with Maho's, who nodded her head in recognition of his focus.

"But...?"

Gerhard was silent for a moment, thinking about what Maho had told him yesterday. "I think you'd be surprised at how well we can manage ourselves, Gerhard." The way she'd said it, combined with the rare amused glint in her eyes, made him think there was information he was missing, but regardless of that, his concern for his squad's well-being now extended to Maho and her crew. Sure, they could handle themselves; the tank commander herself had given him quite a few stories back when he'd been 'captured' by them years ago. But his mission to make sure everyone got out of Berlin safely was very much a thing, and that, of course, included Maho and her crew. He didn't know when, or even if, the next storm would come by and whisk them away as he'd been all that time ago, but until then, it was up to him to make sure they would get to that point. He came out of his thoughts, giving Gunther a strained smile. "Nothing. Just thinking about what to do here soon."

The other man nodded slowly, clearly not buying the obvious cover-up. Gerhard guessed as much; Gunther was an outstanding, highly praised NCO, and in a better time probably would have been commissioned and given command of a squad. He knew exactly what sort of decision-making being a squad leader entailed, and probably had more than an idea of what Gerhard was thinking. However, the other man said nothing, showing the hauptmann that he trusted him enough to lead them down the right path.

With a quick jerk of his head, Gerhard started the walk back to the small cafe where the Second Battalion headquarters had been, motioning for the others to gather around. After a few moments, everyone, including Maho, was gathered around, looking at the captain. He looked at each of his charges briefly before starting, gauging their current moods. With a deep breath, he began. "We've been alerted to the likely location of our missing HQ; they, along with many of our other comrades, are preparing the defense against the Soviets some ways east. While we don't have all the information, it's safe to assume that, by now, Zhukov's army's are preparing or are actively bringing down the hammer, so to speak, on our evacuation corridor." At this, there were some groans and words said under one's breath. No surprise, really, but Gerhard pushed on. "I mean to go east and assist in holding out as long as we can to allow evacuees to escape." Here, the hauptmann paused, looking gravely at each of the people who relied on him, and who, in return, he relied on.

"This may very well be the point of no return. Once Zhukov attacks, the chance of our escape goes down drastically. We may, likely will, end up surrounded and forced to surrender to the Soviets, or die trying to break out. As such, I am offering you all this chance, now, to step out and join the evacuation." Gerhard sighed. "Don't think of it as abandoning us, or your duty, or Germany. This war will end, before too long, and we must rebuild all that has been destroyed. We must be ready for that, just as we must be ready for this fight. If you wish to leave, you will not be considered a deserter, or a coward, or anything less than that." Gerhard looked to the few volksturm as he spoke, who had reason, more than anyone, to take this chance. Amelia and Ella both shook their heads, and when he looked to Bernhard, the youngest in the squad at fifteen, the boy resolutely confirmed that he would stay as well. Finally, he looked to Maho, who appeared to be thinking it over, her eyes failing to hide the warring thoughts in her mind. After a few long moments, she, too, shook her head, much to Gerhard's disappointment. "Very well." he said. "Mount up, and let's get ready to go."

The squad dispersed and made their way towards the Tiger as Gerhard and Gunther watched for a moment. "Were you able to find a radio?"

The NCO nodded, motioning to Bernhard. Indeed, the boy had a radio on his back that Gerhard had failed to notice until now. "The frequencies should be the same, so our young funker should have no issues." Gerhard hummed his understanding, taking one last look at the quiet plaza before jerking his head towards the Tiger. Grunting in agreement, Gunther followed the hauptmann as he jogged over to the heavy tank, climbing up onto the engine deck and taking a spot by Bernhard and Leopold while Gerhard positioned himself on next to the commander's cupola.

After a few moments, Maho rose through the small hatch, looking to Gerhard and smiling briefly. He flashed a grin back before shifting, getting a better seat for the undoubtedly rough ride ahead. "We're ready when you are."

The young commander nodded once, passing a quick word through her comms set. In response, the tank kicked back to life, and in a few more moments, the Tiger was rattling down the highway, headed into the fight.

Oberleutnant Freidrich Bohm

Königswald

0700 hours

"Take cover!"

"Down!"

Friedrich scrambled into a foxhole as the distant pounding of Soviet artillery echoed through the trees, finding another soldier inside crouching as low as he could to the bottom. He shifted slightly to make room for the officer, who gratefully squeezed in as the booming faded away, only to be replaced by the screaming of shells. 'Here we go.'

The morning was shattered by the sudden barrage of howitzer fire, each shell carving out huge tracts of dirt and mud, or splitting trees and rocks apart and turning them into just-as-deadly projectiles. Over the bone-shaking barrage and horrible whistle of flying shells, Freidrich could just barely make out the sound of nearby troops shouting, and even the sound of branches snapping and wood creaking as a tree presumably toppled after being struck. He heard the soldier next to him, praying to whatever god he believed in, and he made a mental note of that. 'Mark my name down to, if you don't mind.'

After and age, or perhaps just a minute, the pounding stopped, and the disoriented defenders slowly resurfaced. Freidrich, ears ringing and skull pounding, joined them in surveying the damage before the battalion commander shouted for positions to be taken. Of course; a barrage like that would only be a prelude to an attack. The oberleutnant rounded up what members of his squad he could find and manned their trench, awaiting the inevitable attack.

'V neprekrashchayushchiysya boy tovarishchi! Pobezhdat'!

'URAAAAAAAAAA!'

The battle cry of the Red Army filtered through the trees, throwing apprehension into the ranks of German defenders as they listened to the confident shouting of their enemy as they bore down on the battered line. This would be the fourth time in the last three hours, the Soviets having started long before sunrise. It was only by a miracle and, perhaps, the grace of God, that the outnumbered defenders had held this long. Freidrich saw movement in the trees, directing his squad to focus their fire on the most likely approaches. "Steady now."

The nine members of his squad watched the forms of the Soviets as they advanced through the trees, weapons at the ready. To his dismay, Freidrich noted what looked like fur overcoats and heavy armor plates as he observed the enemy through his binoculars. "Guards shock troops. " he stated, setting the optics aside. "Looks like the real push is coming." Indeed, up until now, the few attacks that the defenders in the Konigswald had endured were by standard units of the Red Army; by no means an easy fight, but there was no stigma around a normal rifle brigade. On the other hand, when word that a Guards Rifle brigade was attacking spread around, more than a few soldiers would wince and brace themselves for the fight of their lives. It was probably the same effect, in reverse, that would result from the defenders being told the 1st SS Panzerdivision was going to help them defend the forest.

Going back to the fight on hand, the oberleutnant watched the enemy close the gap, finally entering into firing range. "Open fire!" Immediately, the line came alive with the sound of small-arms fire, but despite the volume of it, few of the enemy went down, and some that did were only stunned, getting back to their feet after regaining their senses.

"Verdammt!" Freidrich cursed, ducking as a few shots came his way. Raising his voice, he shouted out "Go for the limbs and head! The plates are too thick!" A few responses answered him, but for the most part, the troops nearby just shifted their fire, bringing down a marginally larger amount of the enemy.

"Granate!"

At the warning, the members of Freidrich's squad scattered, sheltering just moments before a grenade exploded in their trench. Freidrich and a couple others responded in kind, killing the Soviet who'd thrown the device and forcing his comrades back through sheer volume of fire. The oberleutnant returned to his trench, briefly noting a scorch mark in the dirt where the grenade had exploded before focusing on the matter at hand. For the next hour, or perhaps just ten minutes, the lines of the Wehrmacht and Red Army clashed in a heated fight, the weary defenders putting on a brilliant display of courage, and their enemy showing no less of the same. At one point, Freidrich witnessed an armored car charging through the trees, only to be intercepted by one of the best Panzerfaust shots he'd ever seen. Enemy weapons teams tried to move into range a few times, only to be brought down by swift and accurate fire. And, despite their protection, the heavily-armored shock troops eventually were pinned down, forcing them to throw smoke and pull back to regroup.

Taking deep breaths as he came down from his adrenaline rush, Freidrich took stock of his squad. One of the riflemen had been killed, and another two were gone, having been pulled back by the medics after being wounded. That left him with six troops, to include himself. Ammunition was low, both here and across the line; personnel were running around in pairs, hauling ammo boxes back to their squads or otherwise looking for ones to take. The shouts of wounded soldiers alerted the medics to where they were needed, their obvious white helmets and vests making them stick out among the shadows of the trees.

"Good work, men." Freidrich said with a sigh. He felt the fatigue from lack of rest, but now was no time to complain. "Let's get some ammunition and-"

"Enemy attack!"

As the warning was given, a loud shout went up from the frontline and the sound of gunfire kicked up again. 'Schiesse!' Freidrich and his squad assumed their positions again, engaging the enemy that refused to let them recover.

"Oberleutnant! I'm out of ammo!"

'This is falling apart.' the officer thought as he himself fired brief bursts, his ammunition down to only a single extra magazine. "Go get another box!" he shouted. "Rifle cartridges, magazines, whatever you can find! Hurry!" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the soldier leap out of the trench and run back towards the supply depot. "The rest of you, conserve ammo! Fire only when you're sure of it!" He heard similar calls nearby, confirming his fears as the defenders began to falter, unable to keep fighting with their earlier ferocity.

"Bayonets!"

The rifle-wielding troops, without missing a beat, all ducked into cover and affixed their bayonets as the enemy closed in. Freidrich expended the last of his ammunition and slung the MP40 onto his back, withdrawing the Luger from his hip instead. The defensive line was crumbling, both physically and in terms of morale. Unaware of where anyone in command was, or even if they were still alive, the oberleutnant raised his voice, ensuring he'd be heard over the sound of the chaos. "Hold the line! Everyone, HOLD!" A few shouts answered him as he fired his pistol, taking aim at any officers or commissars he could see.

A curse came from his right, one of the other troops standing and looking back behind him. "Where is Max with that ammu-"

The man was cut short as a round tore into his chest, followed by two, three, four more. Ignoring the body as it fell, Freidrich looked to see a squad of shock troops to the right side, all holding back as one approached, a tank on his back and nozzle in hand. 'Fuck me.'

"Scatter!"

Freidrich and a few other defenders vacated their trench as a stream of liquid fire spewed forth, bathing the unlucky ones that failed to hear his shout. A few shots whizzed by, catching another one of his soldiers in the back and killing him as well. The officer led Erich and Johann, his two remaining troops, to a large foxhole, the three sheltering in it until the sound of bullets smacking the dirt or whizzing overhead stopped. Warily, Freidrich looked up, seeing the Soviet's smashing through the lines and setting anything not theirs on fire. "Franz, shoot him."

The older man grimaced and nodded, shouldering his rifle and releasing a few quick rounds. His aim was true, and the soldier with the flammenwerfer on his back exploded into flames as a bullet penetrated the tanks and caused the fuel to mix prematurely. Freidrich watched as a commissar shot the burning man, putting him out of his misery. It was a small victory, but one with little meaning. The enemy was dismantling their line, piece by piece, and all over, German soldiers were withdrawing, firing blindly over their backs. Few made it to the secondary line, and Freidrich knew they wouldn't be able to stand up to a further attack. On top of it all, as if to rub more salt into the wound, he heard the squealing of tank treads and the roar of engines as the primary strength of the 2nd Guards Corps arrived, likely to exploit the break in the defenses. Freidrich laughed internally; it was a perfect blitzkrieg attack, one that Rommel or Guderian would have been impressed with, surely.

Freidrich and his two troops continued taking measured shots at the enemy, who failed to relent as they pushed on. Sporadic rifle fire sounded from all around the defensive line, most if not all of the battalion's automatic weapons having run out of ammo. The oberleutnant felt his pulse quicken as he came to a conclusion. 'This is it.' "Seventh Battalion, fight to the end! Long live sacred Germany!"

The cry was echoed by every soldier who heard it, the words a fitting epitaph for the doomed battalion as they struck out with all the ferocity of a cornered tiger. Freidrich, the only one with any ammunition left in the foxhole, emptied his clip as the Soviets, sensing their victory was near, charged into the fray to finish the fight.

The officer stood, and as a soldier aimed at him and shouted, he chucked his pistol at the man's face, scoring a hit on his chin and stunning him. Another soldier fired his rifle, and Freidrich felt the bullet go into his gut and exit, the weird feeling of air on his internal organs failing to stop the man. The Soviet failed to get another shot off before he himself received a bayonet to the chest, courtesy of Erich. The soldier fired a shot and slid his blade out of the Soviet, bashing the man in the face with his rifle and forcing him to the ground, then turned about to face his next foe.

Johann, not to be outdone, was swinging his rifle around like a makeshift mace, clocking a Soviet upside the head and knocking the man out cold. Another lined up a shot on him, but before he could depress the trigger, Freidrich threw a right hook and hit the enemy soldier in the cheek, stunning the soldier and allowing the officer to grab a hold on his weapon, the two fighting to wrench it from each other's grasp. Behind him, the oberleutnant heard shouting in both Russian and German as the defenders made one last show of defiance against the inexorable Soviet war machine.

With a mighty grunt and a heave, Freidrich managed to win the struggle for the Soviet rifle, kicking out with his boot and knocking the other man back a few paces long enough to level the weapon and fire a few rounds into his chest. As he spun around to assist his two comrades, however, he heard the rapid-fire buzz of a Soviet submachine gun and felt a spray of bullets rip into his chest, the force of the blow knocking him to the ground. It was suddenly very difficult to breath, and the oberleutnant coughed a little and felt something come up.

'Ow.'

He heard some more shouting, the noise sounding muffled as a pair of Soviets came into his field of view, both with their rifles aimed at him as they shouted something. Half delirious, Freidrich gave the two a bloody grin and flashed the two troops a hand gesture he'd learned from an American prisoner-of-war not too long ago. "Khuy tebe, Sovetskiiy-"

Maho Nishizumi

0749 hours

Maho hummed idly as the Tiger rolled down a causeway, looking through her binoculars at the area ahead as they advanced. Beside her, keeping his feet as well as any sailor on a ship might, Gerhard was standing and doing the same, scanning the buildings and searching for any sign of anyone, whether they be friend or foe. She took a moment to look over the German officer, who's weary eyes betrayed the grin he gave her when he made eye contact. "Ja, frauluien?"

The young woman shook her head once, and resumed her scanning. She heard Gerhard grunt as his boots echoed on the turret, and looked back to see he'd taken a seat, rubbing his face as he stifled a yawn.

"Need more coffee, sir?"

The two commanders looked back at Ella, who was offering a large canteen of what must have been the aforementioned drink. Gerhard nodded and took it, pouring some into his mouth. Maho saw him wince slightly as tendrils of steam rose from the hot liquid, but he took two steady gulps before replacing the cap and offering her the canteen. "No thanks." she replied to the silent question. "I've got my water."

Gerhard nodded and handed the canteen back to Ella with a word of thanks, and the girl took it with a bright smile and brief "Of course, sir." Maho watched her for a moment before turning back to the captain, raising her eyebrow.

"She's always like that." Gerhard replied with a small smile. "Always has her eyes on the rest of us, seeing if we need anything, and if we do, she always finds a way to get it." The man sighed, shifting his weight as he looked around again.

Maho nodded and did the same. Below her, she heard Hisayo and Riko going back and forth over something; exactly what, she wasn't able to tell, but it seemed they were fairly relaxed. A quick glance showed Niko was asleep, her head against the side of the turret as she tried to catch up on rest. "I'm surprised she manages to stay so positive with all this going on."

Gerhard nodded in agreement. "We all are." He paused, scratching at some mud that was caked on the cupola. "But it's good for us. Keeps our spirits up in some of the harder times. We all need that more often than not, these days." She hummed in agreement with that statement, watching as the officer kept scratching at the mud, cleaning off the small viewports around the commander's hatch. A few thoughts went through her head as the conversation stalled, and she took a chance to scan their surroundings again and collect her thoughts before proceeding.

"Gerhard, do you have any plans after all this?"

The finger stopped scratching, leaving a spot of dirt on one of the viewports unattended. "What do you mean?" the hauptmann replied. "After the war?"

"Yes." It was a heavy question, for sure, and Maho was nearly certain that the officer would have a good idea of what she was getting at, but it was one she wanted answered. She watched as he sighed, then resumed scratching.

"I don't know. I want to go back home to the Rhineland, but there isn't much left there from what I've heard." He looked up into the sky, a wistful look on his face. "People used to talk about how, after the war, passenger planes might be a thing. Kind of like boats, but so much faster." The officer trailed off for a moment, then looked at her. "I'd like to do that, I think. It's been so long since I've flown; I miss the sky and all the freedom that came with it."

Maho nodded, a small smile at Gerhard's reminiscent look; it reminded her of her sister, back when the two of them were much, much younger; Miho had always wanted to grow up and be like their mother, and was always eager to improve and learn about how to do so. She sighed at the pleasant memories, thoughts turning to home briefly before Gerhard started speaking again."I suppose, though, you're asking because you're interested in me going back with you?"

'Am I really so obvious?' Maho slowly nodded, and the officer grinned again. "Ja, that wouldn't be so bad, would it? I've always wanted to go to Japan; it's always been a mystery to those of us here in Germany; it'd be cool to see it in person." Gerhard let out a big sigh, his other hand going to the back of his neck and scratching there for a few seconds. "I don't know though; it'd be a big change." The hauptmann took on a thoughtful look again, and then shrugged. "At the very least, it would keep me busy."

Maho murmured an agreement, thinking of what that life would be like. A German officer from the '40s in modern-day Japan would be an interesting sight, no doubt. She'd be willing to assist him, though, and that would allow them the opportunity to finally learn about each other and decide, finally, if they could be something more. 'If only mother would approve of him.' she thought with a small grin.

"Do I have something on my face?"

The young woman cracked a larger smile at Gerhard's mock-anger, looking back to him. "No, just thinking about how my mother would take me finally bringing a man home, even if he is from 1944." Gerhard matched her smile, a small chuckle escaping him as he nodded. "Probably would be an interesting talk."

The two shared a laugh for a moment, until Maho saw something catch her eye, her smile fading as she tried to identify the shape. It was too flat to be natural, but with the sun rising she couldn't see it well enough to make it out. "Gerhard?"

"Ja?"

The hauptmann looked at where Maho pointed, eyes squinting as he tried to block out the sun as well. Looking over to him, Maho saw his eyes widen as he stood. "Off the tank, now!"

'BOOM!'

Gruppenfuhrer Amelia Belts

0811 hours

Amelia grunted as her feet hit the cobblestones below, her knees telling her she'd pay for that little maneuver later. She ignored it and ran to cover, still unaware of exactly what the danger was, only that there was danger. Looking behind her, she saw the captain say something to the Tiger's commander before she disappeared into the belly of the tank and the hauptmann jumped off. Another 'boom' sounded, followed by a shell ricocheting off the front of the Tiger.

"Cover!"

Moments later, said shell clattered on the ground, having bounced right off the front of the tank. 'Mien Gott, I'm glad they're with us.'

"Gunther, take Amelia, Bernhard, and Nikolas down the left side of the street. I'll take Hans, Ella, and Leo." The hauptmann spat out orders swiftly and with vigor, his expression hard as he slipped back into the role of a front-line officer. "It looked like there's an anti-tank gun down there, and-"

The captain was cut off by the sound of machine-gun fire, the MG34s on the Tiger blazing away as the beast began to reverse around the nearest corner, the next shot from the Soviet field gun whizzing by harmlessly. Once the tank was safe and the loud reports of the machine guns ceased, he continued. "We'll move up and take out the crew, then destroy the gun itself so they can't use it later." The rest of the squad, Amelia included, nodded in agreement of the plan. With a short command, the squad split into the predetermined groups and began working their way up the street.

"Here."

Gunther motioned towards an open door and slipped inside, followed shortly by the rest. Amelia peered around and saw they'd entered a small workshop of some sort, with the stabsfeldwebel leading them to the back, where another door opened into the alley behind the building. The four soldiers left the building and slowly crept up, listening closely for any movement. As they neared the exit, a sudden flurry of gunfire came from around the corner, followed by the distinct shout of the captain as he presumably led the attack on the enemy gun.

"Let's not keep them waiting." Gunther said, raising his rifle. "Watch your fire as we go; Soviets are the only acceptable targets." The man had a joking smile, but they all knew the danger was real. The veteran directed Nikolas to where he wanted the squad's machine gun set up, and with that, the group was ready.

"Los!"

Amelia came around the corner with the others, rifle raised as she saw and processed the ongoing battle; Soviet troops were lined up behind some sandbags, facing away from them as they engaged the hauptmann's group, effectively pinning them. As she made to fire her weapon, Gunther raised his hand, stopping her and the others as he withdrew a hand grenade and prepared it. Amelia and Bernhard also drew theirs, and on the stabsfeldwebel's command, the three tossed the deadly devices directly at the feet of the Soviet troops and took shelter. She heard the enemies' panicked shouts, and moments later three detonations as the charges in the grenades went off, some of the shrapnel making light 'thwock' sounds as it hit the sandbags she was behind.

"Feuer frei!"

Amelia stood and shouldered her rifle, firing a few shots at one of the Soviet troops who'd escaped the grenades' blasts. She wasn't the best shot, but she at least managed to pin down the soldier and prevent him from reacquiring his weapon, allowing the hauptmann and his half of the squad to advance. Another loud 'boom' went off as the anti-tank cannon, which Amelia realized was hidden in a building, discharged, sending a round flying past the others and into a building, exploding violently and sending rubble flying through the air at deadly speeds. The woman ducked and covered her face as shards of brick and mortar showered her, the street momentarily being obscured in thick dust as the damaged building partially collapsed. Around her, the sounds of combat faltered, if never really letting up.

"Amelia! Get up!"

Getting back up at the stabsfeldwebel's command, she advanced with the others as Hauptmann Koln and his group entered the ground floor of the building the cannon had fired from. A minute later, as she and Bernhard were securing the street and Gunther retrieved Nikolas, the officer and his two companions walked back out, followed shortly by a larger-than-normal explosion and the sound of rending metal. The hauptmann had a large grin on his face, mirrored by Ella, while Leopold maintained his normal, glum expression; either not sharing the others' love for explosions, or him just being his normal disgruntled self, Amelia supposed. Regardless, the lighter-than-normal mood brought a trace of a smile to the woman's face, and she shouldered her rifle as the squad gathered around.

"Amelia, can you run and get Maho and the others?"

The gruppenfuhrer paused for a moment, her mind not immediately connecting the name with a face. Then, she nodded, turning about and jogging down the street until the Tiger came in view, some of her crew partially out of their hatches as they waited for news. "Frau Maho?"

The commander of the tank kept her eyes on Amelia as she responded. "Everything good?"

Amelia nodded as she studied the other girl, having not really interacted with her. They looked to be about the same age, even shared a few physical characteristics; Amelia supposed they might even be mistaken for sisters from a distance. Briefly, she wondered what sort of world the tanker lived in that she and her crew would have to learn how to drive a German tank from, according to her, eighty-plus years in the past. "The hauptmann requested that I fetch you. We've taken care of the anti-tank gun and its support."

Maho nodded and disappeared into the turret along with the other two girls. The engine of the tank, now deafening with the previous combat having ended, increased in pitch as the machine began moving forward, Amelia walking alongside and directing them to the others. Once there, she and the rest of the squad mounted back up, and continued their advance towards the heart of Berlin.

Maho Nishizumi

0927 hours

"Maho."

The young woman straightened and looked over to Gerhard, an annoyed expression on her face. "I'm not asleep."

"Of course." the hauptmann responded, putting on an overly-serious face and nodding in an exaggerated matter. "Simply resting your eyes!" A snort from behind them made the two turn around, seeing Hans shrug his shoulders with a grin. Gerhard had used that same line many times on some of the younger squad members, who were always put-out at the indifference to their argument.

Maho turned back and huffed. "I'm not, really. Just...bored. Out of my mind."

The hauptmann raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "I'd be glad for that. I'd rather have a boring, dead day than one full of...activity." The way he inflected on the last word gave Maho all the information she needed, and while she agreed, her mind was still going numb from how much nothing she'd done; beyond the brief moments of combat they'd had earlier that morning, there'd been absolutely nothing since she and her crew had 'arrived' in Germany.

Shaking her head to clear the mental fog, Maho slipped back inside the hull of the tank, looking around at the crew. Most seemed to be in the same state as her, with Yukiko the only one wide-awake. She'd been driving for the entire time, and knowing her, she was getting a kick out of being able to see a new place, despite the dangers associated with it. The young driver loved driving around in new places, which had been annoying during her early Tankery training. She'd always been too busy looking around and not paying attention to the tank itself, at least until she'd run a panzer off a ledge and needed to fix the tracks herself. That had gotten her to pay more attention.

The girl in question looked back to her commander as Maho's boots clattered on the turret basket, nodding before focusing back on her task. The noise made Niko sit up, looking around abruptly before seemingly remembering where she was. The other two girls remained stationary, either not noticing or not caring about the small ruckus Maho made as she re-entered the tank. The drone of the Simmering engine surrounded the Tiger's crew and filled the silence between Maho and the others as they occupied themselves one way or the other.

"Kommandant, fiendlicher panzer!"

"Maho, tank!"

Just as Maho's mind registered the warning from Gerhard and the preceding shout from one of the other soldiers on the engine deck, the hull of the Tiger shuddered as the sound of a cannon shell ricocheting off armor whistled away. Immediately, the other members of the Tiger's crew called out their status, letting Maho know they were good as she slammed her hatch shut, momentarily witnessing Gerhard and his squad vacating the rear of the tank and scrambling for cover. Having some small comfort in seeing that the hauptmann and the soldiers she'd gotten so familiar with were safe, the young Tiger commander shifted into the state of mind she typically reserved for whenever she was fighting in tournament matches. "Niko, prime AP shot, standby! Yukiko, reverse and get us behind the debris we just passed!"

"Hai!"

"Yokite!"

Another shell whizzed by the turret, close enough for Maho to hear it go by; luckily, Yukiko managed to halt the tank and reverse just in time to avoid the shot. Maho scanned their surroundings methodically as she heard Niko discharging the previously-loaded high explosive round and slam an anti-tank round into the breech. A flash of movement caught her eye, and she immediately identified the threat. "T-34/76, two o'clock! Traverse and fire at will!"

The Tiger's turret mechanisms whirred as the gun came about and Riko found her target. After a moment, she yelled "Firing!", followed by the discharge of the 8.8cm cannon and the clanging of the shell as it was automatically discharged from the breech. Maho watched as the shot struck the T-34 in the side, followed by gushing flames and billowing black smoke. Even as Maho relayed the confirmation of the enemy's destruction, another shot pinged off the Tiger's hull, rattling Yukiko and Hisayo for a moment as their ears rang from the impact. "New target, eleven o'clock, 34/85! Traverse and fire!"

Repeating her earlier motions, Riko brought the Tiger's gun to bear and fired a shot into the Soviet tank's exposed turret ring, causing the turret to jerk slightly to the side, where it stayed, derelict. As Maho debated firing another shot, she saw Gerhard's squad move up. With a sudden burst of flame, a Panzerfaust charge sailed through the air and impacted on the T-34's frontal plate, causing the tank to explode in a fireball, similar to the first T-34. The infantry squad moved up, widely dispersed as they secured the area around the Tiger, and Maho and her crew remained alert, adrenaline rushing through them at the sudden attack. Maho, taking the hint, ordered the tank to remain stationary as she kept and eye out for any more movement as Gerhard, Hans, and Bernhard moved up. The three disappeared around a corner for a moment, leaving the others watching cautiously from their position.

"Maho..."

"What?" The young woman looked down into the tank, where Riko had pulled back from her sight, looking a little shell-shocked. "We just...killed people..."

Maho blinked, the realization hitting her like a wall of bricks as well. Even back in Abashiri last year, they'd been using high explosive ammunition, not really able to defend themselves any other way. Now though, with proper, live rounds, rather than the sim rounds she and the other members of the Tiger's crew were used to...

Well, the results were clear as day before them.

Before Maho could formulate a response, a knock sounded from above her, and moments after, the hatch was opened by Gerhard, who looked only mildly worried. He glanced down into the turret, seeing the look Maho gave him. "I'm guessing you aren't very fond of the idea?

"None of us are." Maho replied, noting the hauptmann's eyes roving around every few seconds, scanning their surroundings nearly constantly. "It isn't everyday you watch someone get vaporized because of something you did."

Despite the situation, Gerhard snorted at the young woman's blunt response, enticing her to raise an eyebrow. "No, I suppose it isn't. I assume the others feel the same?" When Maho nodded in affirmation, he pressed on. "I don't like to admit it, but it really is as simple as 'you or them'." The officer sighed and removed his helmet, running his hand over his face. "If we're going to get the five of you back to where you belong, you'll have to kill them. No way around it, seeing as they'll be trying to kill you." He looked around again for a few seconds, then continued. "Other option is to have you five take this thing out of here and head towards the Elbe...it's the safest way to go about it."

"No." Maho replied near-instantly. Gerhard raised his eyebrow at the swift shoot-down of his idea, caught off guard with the sudden vehemence with which Maho said it. "I said that we'll be helping you try to get out of this mess, and we will."

"Now that you've all had a taste of what's to come, you might want to have another talk with your crew." Gerhard countered. "That was only two tanks, and no support. I guarantee that the rest of their platoon, perhaps even their company, heard the little skirmish we just had, and they'll be on their way. It won't be easy, and it certainly won't be safe."

With that, the hauptmann jumped down from the Tiger, leaving Maho to think about what he said. On one hand, she certainly wanted to get her crew and herself to safety, but on the other, she felt as though this was her chance to thank the German officer that had provided them so much help in the past, and perhaps continue where the two had left off in a place where he wouldn't be constantly shadowed by the threat of death. She sighed and looked down at her crew, all of whom were waiting expectantly for their commander to translate what the two leaders of each group had discussed.

Hauptmann Gerhard Koln

1004 hours

"Everything good there, hauptmann?"

Gerhard nodded and took a seat on a nearby bench, setting his rifle across his legs before taking a sip from his canteen. "They're talking amongst themselves. Trying to decide the best course of action."

Gunther nodded and grunted, seeming to understand. It was a similar choice that Gerhard had given to the squad prior to setting out on this mission, and though it would hurt to lose the heavy tank and her crew, it was up to said crew to decide just how much danger they were willing to take, especially since this wasn't really their fight. After a few more moments of silence, the stabsfeldwebel cleared his throat and spoke. "I've got the others keeping watch; I'm sure those two tanks weren't the only ones nearby."

Gerhard nodded in agreement, fully expecting to see more Soviets. From some of the reports he'd flipped through earlier, as well as the earlier story from the refugees they'd spoken to, it appeared the Soviets were finally responding to General Wenck's breakthrough in force. At the very least, the two tanks were a scouting force for a much larger armored push, and at worst, they were simply a flank or perhaps even rearguard of their company that would soon be bearing down on them.

As if on cue, Bernhard and Amelia came charging around a corner, startling both to the older men and causing the two volkssturm recruits to have rifles leveled at them before the two veterans realized their identity. "Schiesse, you two, be more careful."

Ignoring Gunther's reprimand, Amelia shook her head and reported. "We saw some Soviet infantry patrolling nearby, heading this way. Not sure about their uniforms, but they don't look like Guards troops."

Instantly, Gerhard was on his feet, rifle in hand. "Where?"

Bernhard pointed back the way they came, roughly in the direction the two T-34s had originated from. The officer nodded once and took out his map. "Amelia, run and grab the others, bring them back here, no detours."

"Jawohl!"

"Gunther, let's get set up over here." Gerhard pointed out a nearby plaza that would provide the squad with plenty of control over entrance routes and prevent the likelihood of ambushes.

"What about them?"

The hauptmann glanced over to the Tiger sitting silently by itself a few paces away. "I'll take care of it. Take the others and get set up."

Gunther nodded and motioned for Bernhard to assist him in grabbing gear and making ready to move. Gerhard ran over to the Tiger, clambering back up on top just in time for Maho to reopen the hatch, looking surprised to see him there. "You've not been waiting this entire time, have you?" she quipped, a trace of a smile on her face.

Gerhard grunted in response, the urgent look on his face quickly alerting the young woman to the current state of affairs. "What was the decision?"

"We'll stay, for now at least." Maho responded swiftly. She opened her mouth to continue when Gerhard held up a hand to silence her, leaving the two to strain their ears. Over the sound of the wind in the trees and the crunch of dirt and gravel underfoot, the sound of engines revving could be heard, with the just-barely audible squeal of tracks in the background. The hauptmann gave a humorless grin and shrugged. "I guess that's good then."

Maho shook her head and shouted into the belly of the Tiger, which soon roared to life. Gerhard directed the tank over to the plaza, where he jumped off and allowed Maho to position the steel beast where she saw fit. Once positioned, he and the rest of the squad took up positions nearby, set to ambush the enemy as they approached. Gunther took a spot in the window next to him, and the two men set about readying themselves for the upcoming fight in silence, their years of experience with each other requiring no words to be spoken. Finally, they stood ready, hidden behind the windowsills.

"Well then, this'll be fun."

Gerhard grinned at the quip, flicking his rifle to single-shot. "As fun as it ever is."

"You think they'll be good down there?"

Gerhard glanced down to where the Tiger was hidden away, thinking back to the words Maho had said yesterday. "I'm sure they've got a lot more up their sleeve than they've told us." he replied. "As long as we keep the infantry off of them, I think we'll be good."

Gunther grunted and pointed. "Hope so. Looks like our guests have arrived."

The hauptmann nodded as he saw the first of the Soviet infantry enter the square, cautiously scanning around them. He recognized the mechanized infantryman's uniform, relaying the info to Gunther, who passed it on to the others further down the row of windows. He waited until they started lowering their guard, the Soviets failing to see the Tiger hidden away in a nearby building, glancing one more time at his second in command, who nodded in agreement at the silent question.

"Feuer frei!"

Apologies folks; this one took a bit longer due to both work and previously mentioned (on my profile) writer's block; had some issues with ideas.

This chapter was intended to be longer, actually, but I both wished not to make it too long and wanted to actually get a chapter out before the end of the month. Given that I had an entire week of time taken out due to work, I think I managed alright.

As always, I appreciate any reviews you drop, either via the system provided or PMs. Let me know what you think, and I hope you all have a brilliant Halloween. Stay safe out there, and I'll catch you all next time! Arrivederci!

KTA334