Chapter VI:
That drone was taking images of their hideout and transmitting them directly to May Kanker's headquarters. The blonde was standing, contemplating what would be the beginning of a battle for the domination of Karsland. She smiled, the corners of her mouth widening into a grimace, an expression full of mockery and acceptance of the challenge to fight against them. One of her henchmen approached and asked if they should attack but she raised one of her hands, cutting the air like a blade until she stopped halfway and from there she cleared her throat, approaching them and from there she clasped her hands together.
- Would it be necessary to send a combat force against them.- She asked and one of them was about to answer but he shook his head.- They are already in my territory, a very hostile and savage one. One in which you survive, kill or die, nothing more than that. You'd have to be stupid enough to come all the way out here, take shelter and believe this is like a "Terminator" movie, where they'll form "The Resistance". Awww, but what fools they have been and I have to thank Erica for bringing my loved one all the way here.- She laughed and after that, in a couple of seconds, his mocking expression changed to a cold and severe one, showing what he had hidden.- Even so, after several humiliations and defeats, the girls have entrusted me with this mission and I intend to fulfill it to the letter. If they want to fight to the end, well, I will grant them, as the only "wish" but it will only be that and nothing more. We, the Kanker, will not lose another bastion, we will continue with this war and the world will kneel before us.- She swore and once his speech was over, he gave the orders to prepare for combat.
From outside the building where May commanded her forces, the doors began to open, revealing the arrival of her armies, who began to take off towards the position where the invaders were hiding, while she went out and joined the fight.
- I don't see anyone else around here.- Said Eddy, who had returned with Francesca from having gone for an ice cream in Romagna and from there they were carrying out their surveillance duties.
- Neither do I and it seems that the Shadow Neuroi have not wanted to cross the border to attack us. Still, Eddy, I have a feeling that this is just the calm before the storm.- Francesca inquired, as they took another turn through the Alps and Apennines, following a route that went from the North to the South.
- And you can say that, especially now that my friends are in Karsland, Suomus and Orussia, this is something to keep one's eyes wide open.- Said the short boy.
In the middle of that flight, the boy felt that the girl from Italy approached him and tickled him along with other jokes to dispel the doubts and fears of a possible enemy counter-offensive. From there, he flew in the direction of the girl's position and from there he joined the "game", laughing out loud without stopping, letting the wind blow and caress their faces, moving their hair and thus giving them a "time off" from all those worries. Soon, once they were overcome with exhaustion, they were both looking at each other closely. There was something hovering in the air and that was ideal for both of them to get close. Eddy couldn't ignore his girlfriend's beauty, while she was happy to have him on her side. They could not imagine a Future away from each other, that they would not have met or that the Kankers would have won and kept them, not as their boyfriends or Kings, but as "war trophies".
He was about to say something but the Italian woman went ahead of him and took the short young man by the hands, looking at him closely and without him being able to say a single word, one that came from inside his soul and from there out to her, through his lips, Francesca's "answer" was a tender kiss on the lips of her boyfriend, who, in the first instant, felt that time "froze".
("Enjoy the Silence", "Depeche Mode")
At that moment, one they were both waiting for, came. Their lips got closer and closer, united by that "magnetism" and the silence that surrounded them. Eddy could feel Francesca's softness, her body "melting" with his, the warmth they both shared and reflected in that eternal embrace. He couldn't deny it, she was beautiful, the only word "available" he had with him that he wanted to let go. His chance came when they both took a brief time to catch their breath and from there he ran his hand through her hair.
- You are beautiful. There will not be another woman, in this World, who can be equal to you. You are unique, you have that energy and warrior spirit that amazes me, as well as your compassion towards those who suffer.- He revealed those characteristics that the girl had with her, causing her to blush.
- I knew that, inside you, there was a heart of gold. I still remember the day I met you and your friends, being tied to that fence and framed by Jimmy, who handed you over to the Kankers. But now I realize that you've changed. You no longer think about wanting to run scams and so on, you worry about your loved ones and especially about the Future. I have to admit it, some of my friends saw you as unsuccessful but they were wrong. Your heart is showing that warmth that wanted so much to appear and now that it is, you have the key to what is in store for you. And I want to be there to witness it.- Francesca said, taking his hands and kissing him sweetly on the lips again.
- I will never separate from you, I promise.- Eddy gave her his word, touching the Italian's cheeks softly and making her blush.- My heart only belongs to you and no one else, not even Lee.
- Awwww, Eddy.- She said, while they kissed once more, enjoying that "time of peace", even if it was brief, for them it would be eternal.
Back in Berlin, in the building where the "Squadron" led by Erica Hartmann was, sheltered and setting up their base of operations, with the streets deserted, with no enemy presence around. On the ground floor Minna and Trudie were set up as observers, with loaded weapons and ammunition at their side, while the others were on the first level, waiting for what? Basically they were tucked into the "Lion Cage" and it was only a matter of time before the "Shadow Neuroi" became aware of their presence. Still, Sarah and Jimmy were checking the streets with a military telescope that the "Witches" had brought with them from Brittania and were not detecting any enemy movement. The redhead was in charge of that mission, while her friend was taking notes in a small notebook, being watched by Perrine.
- "That's my boy. Very good, Jimmy. You're well on your way to being a grown man".- She thought, proud of her "Protégé" and the decisions he was making so that he could depend on himself as well.
- I see you have taken good care of your "Protégé", Perrine.- She heard Yoshika's voice, who was finishing arranging some boxes in one of the corners. The silver-haired girl turned around when she heard that.
- She couldn't leave him alone, that boy needed help, someone to listen to him and guide him on the right path. A person as good as him can suffer enormous perjury by others who abuse his kindness and trust. Nobody deserves a treatment like that, where they see you as a home mat, where they trample on you and do what they want.- She said, closing her eyes and adopting a "brotherly" tone for that albino boy and looked at him again.- You also have Johnny, that boy also needed someone to guide him.
Yoshika heard that and took a seat on a pile of boxes with ammunition that had been brought from Brittania, while Charlotte and Lynne were returning from checking the last level of the building.
- Johnny is a very particular case. I can tell he has trouble making friends but, in this last time, the friendship I have with him has become much stronger and he is even more open to conversations.- Noted Empire Sergeant Fuso.- It must not be easy for someone, who was born in a small town where he only has contact with the only people who live there. It's not the same in big cities but there is also the issue of how to keep safe that friendly relationship in a village than in a big city.- Inquired Yoshika, who had those images of how he was progressing with Johnny on his way and had a Future.-I see great potential in him, as well as in the others, Perrine. They are giving it now. Although...- At that point, she sighed deeply.- I wish it was something other than war.
Clostermann had had that cold personality towards Yoshika when she was a rookie in the group but, as time went by, he dropped that stance and now walked up to her and rested his hands on the young Sergeant's shoulders.
- I know I was very standoffish with you and such before but I'm not now. I recognize that you care about us and the boys but nothing is going to happen. The Kankers will fall, sooner or later.- Perrine promised her, looking her in the eye and she looked up, nodded firmly and that brought her morale back up.-That's the way I like it. You'll see that this will be over soon.- She promised, and from there they saw Lynne and Charlotte arrive.
- Everything is clear up there and the Commander has set up a battle station upstairs next to Trudie.- Informed the British woman to both of her friends.
- Perfect.- Said Yoshika.- How are things going over there, Erica?.- She asked the blonde.
- Everything in order and without any news.- Answered the blonde from Karsland, who was with Ed at her side, going over the maps of the most important points to be taken in Berlin.
- Jimmy, Sarah, any movement report.- Perrine approached the albino and her friend.
- No news at the front, everything is calm.- Said the boy.
- Yes, too calm.- Added the redhead with a worried tone, while she continued with her work.
Sarah's words were right, the calm was absolute on the streets of Berlin. Not a single person was to be seen or the "Shadow Neuroi" that had been patrolling since they had arrived. Silence, the wind was the only "individual" wandering around. The desolate atmosphere resembled Ray Bradbury's short story, "The Pedestrian", where a man named Leonard Mead wandered the empty streets of his city during a cold November night and ended up being stopped by a police car and sent to a "Therapy Center".
From the North to the South of Berlin there was no human activity. The factories were closed, many of them were occupied by the invaders, who employed slave labor, civilians, members of the resistance and captured soldiers to produce all kinds of weapons and machines for the Kanker war. Others had been destroyed by the enemy hosts or by the natives themselves so that they would not fall into their hands. They had not had the same luck as in Eastern Europe, where the Imperial Government had moved theirs to more remote and inaccessible areas, especially in the Caucasus, where the oil wells were located, an area of great strategic importance and resources for the three sisters.
On the other hand, many buildings had been destroyed and others set on fire by the invaders, civilians had fled en masse while others preferred to fight to the end for their homeland. Houses were looted and so were banks. The disaster was of "biblical" proportions, nobody could get out of their astonishment and even more with the aggressiveness with which the Kanker attacked. There was no time for anything, not even to form a solid defense against them, so it ended in countless casualties for the Karsland Armed Forces.
Even so, the surveillance continued on anyone who tried to carry out sabotage actions against the enemy infrastructure and May was the one who had that whole country under his iron fist. With the arrival of the "Squad" led by Erica Hartmann, the blonde American saw this as an opportunity to crush the long-standing problem and take back what was hers.
- Remember that Ed must not be eliminated. I want him before me and if he defends himself, then bring him to me in shackles.- She ordered her henchmen, as they marched through the deserted streets of the Capital City.
The wind moved their hair, their war machines glittered together with the brightness of their armies that were eager to fight. The "Elite Guard" that she counted on was by her side, all the time, protecting her from any attack against her person, as well as the ships that sailed the skies and launched their attacks against the cities and neighboring states that the country had. When she gave the order to advance, she noticed an "image" from the Past, in which they were three simple sisters living in the "Peach Creek Caravan Park". The day they had found the Eds during that expedition that Double D had organized through the woods and when they had escaped, starting with those wishes in which they were going to have them, forever, in their hands.
Everything had changed now. She was no longer a civilian, but a conqueror, just like Marie and Lee. She wasn't going to let just anyone take away what belonged to her. If she had to destroy an entire country, she would do it. If the entire population of the World had to be enslaved, she would carry it out to the letter.
- "Love can hurt, but it also becomes a weapon to fulfill one's desires. Why should one stand idly by? They wanted this, we were fine but now I'm marching towards an important meeting, one in which she will emerge victorious. I don't care how or when, but Ed will fall before me. He will be my husband and my King. No one else will be able to obtain that right".- Thought the young woman and when they reached the position of her "Agents" on the ground, she raised a hand and everything was silent.
- And so?.- Wondered Minna.- Girls, to your stations.- Called the red-haired Commander to the others to get ready.
Ed felt something shaking the floor, just like an earthquake: the table, the paintings in the "living room", the chairs and even the lamps seemed to "dance" with the telluric movement. Erica moved a few meters away and walked, stealthily, to where one of the windows was walled up with thick wooden planks. She stopped walking, her boots stopped making sound and after peeking through, she noticed that the streets were empty but, somehow, the "earthquake" persisted.
- Jimmy, Sarah, get out of there.- Perrine whispered to them and they both left the "Observation Post".- The girl from Gaul had her "Bren" Mark 1 machine gun in her hands, taking position in the main stairwell leading to the door.
They said nothing and joined that defensive point. Small threads of dust and tiny debris fell from the ceiling, the air became thick, difficult to breathe amidst a tension that was growing more and more. Unstoppable, without stopping, a train that had no driver and was about to crash into its final destination.
- We didn't see anything out there. This is weird.- Jimmy told his "Guardian".- Something is not right, it's as if they were...I don't know, preparing?
- It could be possible, but we won't know for sure until it happens.- Said Sarah, who felt the sweat running down her forehead. In the middle of the silence, she felt Jimmy's hand on her back. First she was startled and then she discovered who it was, encouraging her to continue.
Soon, they both saw that Erica was not visible from her position at the window. Her eyes were fixed on the streets. What could be happening? Suddenly, she saw him coming.
A huge black "tank" coming from May's army was advancing through the area, making the place tremble and thus was positioned until it had a "Shooting Zone". The cannon was raised and aimed at a target that it detected.
- SHIT!.- Shouted de Karsland and ran to the stairs.- MINNA, TRUDIE!.- The young woman alerted them.
When they both turned around, at that call, from the streets, the "tank" fired at the upper floor, causing a fierce explosion that blew off part of the facade. Debris and dust fell, mixed with the smoke from the fire that broke out. In the midst of the fray, Minna and Trudie stood up, being greeted, when their figures appeared among the debris, by enemy shrapnel.
- ON THE GROUND!.- Shouted Barkhorn, throwing the redhead back down. Both rolled on the ground until they hit their weapons.
- First phase of the "Extermination Plan" finished. Let the second part begin: Go ahead and kill all of them, except Erica and Ed. I want her before me.- May ordered her henchmen, who began to march towards the entrance.
("Eagle in Danger", OST of "The Eagle has landed", 1976)
Trudie and Minna were under attack from a group of enemy ships and also from the snipers who had them in their sights. At one point, the dark brunette rolled to the right and grabbed her MG131 and MG151/20, while the Commander drew her MG 42 and Walther PPK Pistol. The smoke and dust disappeared in that instant and from there they took cover behind some ruins in the building.
- On the count of three we fired. One, two...- That pause seemed eternal, Trudie held her two MGs tightly and cold sweat was beading on her forehead.- THREE, NOW!.- Exclaimed the Commander, unleashing a fierce counter-offensive, a real rain began to fall on the ships and the snipers. With the agility that both had, they were able to shoot down three of them, which fell in flames to the ground, while those who were stationed on the roofs of the other buildings were shot down.
- We will shoot at those in the streets!.- Trudie pointed out, and it was true, as they were only a few meters away from the main entrance.
May was taken by surprise, she could not believe that her ambush had gone wrong, even though she had them surrounded. Amidst the smoke and flames coming from between the downed ships, she ordered her hosts to advance, protected by the "tank" that was positioned to fire on the occupants on the upper floor. When they reached the enemy positions, the blonde's forces moved toward the gate but fell to shrapnel. One by one, the front line was eventually destroyed, but others took the places of the fallen.
Protected by a "Bullet Shield" designed by the slaves, the "Shadow Neuroi" began to attack the main entrance.
- Here they come, be ready!.- Shouted Trudie from the top floor, in the middle of the shooting they were having.
However, in the middle of those maneuvers, a column of enemies had begun to infiltrate through the gardens, heading towards the west side of the building, which alerted Erica and Ed, being the boy the first to shoot, sending several of those opponents flying along with the fence.
- Did you not expect this surprise, "Witch"?.- Asked May, who climbed into the "tank" and gave the order to fire again at the target. The gunners began to direct the cannon, raise it and load it with projectiles. Then they took aim at the upper floor.
- TANK AT FOUR, TRUDIE!.- Alerted Minna, while both of them were firing at the top of their lungs.
- FUCK!.- Shouted the dark brunette and unleashed an infernal hail of bullets, destroying its armor and exposing the "Core", which was hit and began to overheat inside.
May witnessed that, the interior began to burn from the heat and the members that were part of the "tank" began to flee from there, but they could not go that far because of the shrapnel that hit them. The blonde had to make her way, shooting at the two officers stationed on the top floor of the building, between the screams, the bullets, the fire and the explosions that were flying around, turning that area of Berlin into a real battlefield never seen before.
- WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! HUH?!. YOU WANTED A FIGHT?! HERE IT IS!.- Shouted the blonde girl, when a nearby explosion threw her to the ground, leading to her being dizzy and being helped by her "Elite Guard".
While the columns of smoke rose from the burning "tank", among the gunfire that persisted, the cartridges of the weapons that were emptied and required new ones, among other tactical movements, in addition to the destruction caused in that area, the "Central Force" of the "Shadow Neuroi" had managed to enter through the main entrance of the building, however, when they set foot inside, they were met by the "Bren" of Perrine and the "Magic" of Sarah, Jimmy and Ed, who were defending the position.
From the East side were Yoshika, Lynne and Charlotte facing the invading waves, firing at them from the windows, causing huge casualties but they noticed that the more they spent the ammunition, the more enemies kept coming.
- They want to encircle us.- The Fuso Empire Sergeant observed the situation they were in.
Lynne did not doubt her friend's words either. The ammunition in her "Boys Anti-Armor Mk.I" rifle had run out and she soon went back to reload. As she did so, an opponent was upstairs in the window frame and prepared to attack them but Yoshika was quicker, destroying him under a hail of shrapnel.
- Are you all right, did he hurt you?.- Asked the chestnut.
- Calm down.- Lynne answered calmly but maintaining the corresponding posture and behavior in the battlefield.- It didn't do anything to me, but I recognize that what you said is true. They will end up encircling us until they destroy us.- She backed up her friend's theory as they left their position.
- I share the same position, friends. Look over there, they keep coming, we need to escape as soon as possible and get a new position to continue the campaign.- Charlotte pointed to the streets that were beginning to fill with more enemies. A real "tide".
Luckily for them, or maybe because Yoshika's words reached Minna and Trudie's ears, they went down the stairs to that sector of the building.
- We must retreat, we can no longer hold this position.- Minna announced to them.- Grab your weapons and ammunition, we will meet on the first floor right now.- She finished and they left to fulfill their objective.
Once gathered on the first floor, they went outside, making their way through the "Shadow Neuroi", who looked like a real "tide", a furious "swarm" that sought to attack everything that moved. Between the shots and explosions, May had regained her composure, the dizziness after the explosion of the "tank" she commanded, so she saw a new opportunity to finish off the rivals.
- Forget about that building, go after them, they are in the streets!.- Exclaimed the girl but she was discovered by Ed, Sarah and Jimmy, who fired several "rounds" of "Magic" that fell near her.
Soon, Erica's "Squad" left the area and headed north towards the Berlin Center to regroup and continue the operation.
The fight to liberate Karsland had entered its final but most complicated stage.
[The Battle of Berlin began, one that would decide the fate of that country. May's forces and the "Witch" forces are engaged in a fierce fight like no other. What will happen on their journey to the Center and will they be able to accomplish the mission? We will see in the next chapter.
I send greetings and thanks to Matfix, Franco M. Romano and the other Fanfiction and Wattpad fans.
Take care, friends. Good start of the day Thursday from me to you and see you next chapter].
