"It's now or never." Logan said as he wrote in a journal which had a picture of Ellie on the opposite page he was writing on.
"Hey."
Logan turned to look at David.
"You keep using the thought of coming home to her as motivation, you'll be just fine."
"Easy for you to say, your girl's right next to you."
"Fair enough."
Logan closed his journal and put it away just as Merrick spoke up.
"Remember, No diggin' in at the shore, you gotta advance. You need to stay low and do not bunch up. You stick to your training you're gonna make it through. I'm proud to lead you fellows into battle, anytime, anywhere."
D-Day
June 6th, 1942
Logan Walker
Normandy Beaches, French S.S.R (Soviet-occupied France)
"Alright, give'em hell boys!" Keegan shouted as allied bombers flew overhead.
"The beaches are supposed to be flattened, right?" David asked.
Rorke looked at David.
"You sound scared, private."
David shook his head. "No sir."
"You should be."
"Hey Walker, got a light?" Asked a female soldier that was driving the boat.
"Sure thing." Logan said as he pulled out a lighter and flicked it on and held it out for the soldier as she tried to light her cigarette, suddenly there was the sickening sound of a bullet hitting flesh. Logan was completely caught off guard as one of the gunners on the back of the boat was shot in the head.
"EVERYBODY DOWN!" Merrick shouted.
Almost instantly, everyone in the boat crouched down to avoid the gunfire coming from the beach.
"watch out!" shouted a male soldier as an artillery round just missed them.
"GET DOWN!" shouted another as more artillery came down.
"500 yards!" shouted the driver. "We're gonna have to pull off!"
"No, we stay on mission. You're taking us in." Merrick ordered.
"We must've drifted, I can't see the landmarks!"
"You heard the lieutenant, Full speed!" Rorke ordered.
"INCOMING!" Merrick shouted as an artillery shell just missed them. "Hold tight!"
Logan looked to the side as another artillery round hit the water and missed.
"Goddamn it!"
"200 yards!" Shouted the driver. "20 seconds!"
"Same plan! Get to the seawall!" Merrick shouted.
"Kopelson! James! Get the bangalore to the wire, fast!" Rorke ordered. "Everybody ready! Here we go!"
"Drop the ramp!" Merrick ordered
"There's no cover!" Argued the driver.
"That was an order goddammit! Drop it!" Rorke shouted.
The driver pulled a lever and the ramp lowered. Logan looked to his left and saw a burning landing craft speeding towards them which rammed into them and knocked everyone to the ground. Logan watched as the other soldiers scrambled to their feet but some were unfortunate enough to get gunned down by Soviets using Dshk 1938 heavy machine guns. The headless corpse of one soldier fell on top of Logan.
"OVER THE SIDES!" Merrick shouted as he and the other surviving soldiers did so.
Logan grunted as he pushed the headless body off of him and climbed over the side of the landing craft, taking a deep breath as he fell into the water and was brought up by merrick.
"Get your head down and keep moving!" He ordered as a burning soldier fell into the water next to them. Merrick then began treading through the water towards the beach shore.
"Walker, On me!" Merrick ordered as he and Logan rushed for cover while the cries and screams of the men and women of the 1st Infantry Division echoed across the beach shore. Logan dropped to his knees behind a wooden barricade and looked to Merrick, who quickly preformed the sign of the cross before speaking to Logan.
"Take the bangalore and get to the seawall! We have to clear a path to the bunkers!" Merrick Ordered. But Logan was really paying attention due to the horror he witnessed while looking back, seeing all the death, pain and suffering of the other soldiers. A few seconds passed before Merrick snapped him out of the horrific revere.
"LOGAN! This is what you trained for! Now pick up that banger!"
Logan grabbed the metal explosive from underneath the bloody corpse of a soldier.
"You can do this!" Merrick encouraged.
"Yes Sir!" Logan replied as Merrick went ahead with an M1928 SMG in his hands. Logan then quickly looked back at the corpse. "Oh, God."
Logan rose to his feet and readied his M1 Garand Marksman rifle. Then he ran over to a destroyed tank where Rorke had taken cover.
"Walker, you got the banger?" Rorke asked
"Yes, Sargent!"
"Good! Once they reload we move from cover to cover while advancing to the seawall. Stay right behind me! You do that, you'll make it! OK... GO!" Rorke shouted as he and Logan moved between covers until they were unable to be targeted by the Soviets.
"Now go breach that wire!" Rorke ordered.
Logan ran up to the seawall and dove down in front of it. Then he saw someone dive right next to him. To both his surprise and relief, It was David.
"Logan! Use the Banger, I'll cover you!" He shouted. "After we breach, keep pushing towards the bunker!"
Logan pulled out the pieces of the bangalore and attempted to put them together but dropped one. David noticed his brother's shaking hands and picked up the piece Logan dropped and handed it to him.
"We're almost there!" He said
David's words encouraged Logan to relax and assemble the bangalore and aim it at the wire fence.
"Pull it!" David shouted.
"Fire in the hole!" Logan exclaimed, crawling back as to not get caught in the explosion.
(BOOM!)
The explosion created an opening in the seawall for the soldiers to run through.
"Ready? ATTAAAACK!" Merrick ordered as soldiers ran through the opening, only to get cut down by the Soviets in the bunkers and the trenches.
"GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!" David yelled as he and Logan ran down the other side of the seawall while dodging the enemy gunfire.
"Push forward!" Shouted Merrick.
"Logan, into the trench! Hurry!"
Logan jumped down into one of the trenches and fired at 2 Soviet soldiers with his M1 Garand, killing them. Then he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder as he was by a Soviet who was quickly killed by David, who had flanked around.
"Logan, you're hit!?" He exclaimed.
"Got me in the shoulder! Agh... I can still walk!"
"Good, OK I'll grab a first-aid kit and we'll meet around the corner!"
"Alright!"
David turned away and ran around the corner in search of a first-aid kit for his brother. Logan picked up a PPSh-41 SMG and ran the same direction his brother had gone, finding him and 2 other soldiers holding their position. David saw his brother approach.
"Logan, here!" David said, tossing him a first-aid kit.
"Thanks, man!" Logan replied, opening the kit and healing his wound. Then he followed David up to a corner.
"Alright, here we go!" Logan yelled as he and David rounded the corner, engaging and killing 3 Soviet soldiers before going underneath an overhead crossing.
"We can't advance with those HMGs firing on our position!" Yelled Rorke.
"Hold tight. Fire support incoming!" Merrick advised.
"Come on, Logan!" David shouted.
David and Logan ran out of the trench and took cover behind a stone barrier as Soviet MG fire rained down from the bunkers. That was, until 2 American P-47 fighter planes dropped bombs in a precision strike, destroying the bunker and ceasing the MG fire.
"That's it! Let 'em have it!" Keegan shouted.
"HMGs are down!" Elsa yelled.
"Ain't nothing left!" Logan Added.
"Get to the top!" Ordered Merrick.
Logan, David, Elsa, Keegan, Rorke and Merrick all ran up the hill. Encountering a few stray Soviets upon reaching the top.
"Logan, I need you and David to take point and clear the north bunker, Rorke, Russ, clear the south bunker, Private Winters, you come with me, they'll need you for triage at the CCP! Let's Go!" Merrick ordered
Logan and David approached their bunker and quickly encountered resistance, which they handled just as quick.
"Logan, Toss a frag in the in the bunker, don't want anyone jumping us!"
"You got it! Frag out!" Logan replied, throwing a frag grenade in the bunker.
(BOOM!)
"Bunker entrance is clear!" David yelled
"Alright, here we go!" Logan replied as he approached the bunker entrance with his gun drawn.
"UMERET'!" ("DIE!")
Logan reacted just in time to stop a Lone Soviet Soldier from stabbing him with a bayonet attached to an SVT-40 rifle. They were caught in a struggle for a few seconds until David charged the soldier and knocked both him and Logan to the ground. Logan looked up from the ground to see David began punching the Soldier multiple times, however, David failed to notice the Soldier reach for and grab an NR-40 combat knife, resulting in him being stabbed by the Soldier, much to Logan's horror.
"DAVID! Oh Shit!" Logan exclaimed as he got to his feet in time to stop the Soldier from stabbing him too. Logan Managed to get on top of the Soldier and pin him knife-wielding hand down and quickly grabbed large Rock that had been blown apart from the bunker wall and proceeded to hit the Soldier with it until he was dead.
Logan Dropped the rock and hurried over to his wounded brother, who pointed at the bunker entrance and shouted.
"LOGAN!"
Logan turned around to see another Soviet soldier charging, but was promptly killed by Logan, who pulled out his M1911 Pistol.
"I got you, Brother!" Logan said, crouching next to his brother.
"I Can't feel my legs..."
"Oh shit."
David's breathing started to get faster.
"Get me the fuck outta here, Okay.
"I'm gonna get you to Elsa, Okay, Just stay with me!"
Logan put his hands around David's chest and started dragging him backwards out of the bunker. David looked around and saw the CCP, which had a Medical flag hanging from it.
"Gotta Get over to the CCP!" Logan said to his brother before dragging him again.
"On your left!" David Warned.
Logan took out his pistol again and killed the rushing soldiers, then dragged David up to a sandbag wall where he had to pull David over in order to keep advancing. David saw his brother pull out his pistol again.
"How many?"
"Too Many!" Logan shouted as he killed 3 more Soldiers, his pistol clicking on the last bullet. "I'm out!"
Logan grabbed David again and dragged him. "We're clear! Come on!"
"You call that Fuckin' clear?"
Logan heard a strange noise and looked to his left to see an American flame trooper using an M1A1 Flamethrower on male and female Soviet soldiers, who were screaming out in pain as they were burned.
"I'm Losing a lot of blood, Logan."
"Hang in there!"
Logan placed David up against another sandbag wall. Then a smoke grenade was deployed, heavily obscuring his vision.
"Ah shit, keep your head down!" Logan said as he waited for the Soviets to appear before shooting them.
"Did you get'em?"
"They keep coming!" Logan said just as his pistol clicked again. "I'm Out!"
Logan was about to grab David again when he shouted.
"WATCH OUT!" David pulled out his own pistol and shot dead A Female Soviet, causing her to shriek.
"She's down! Let's move!"
Logan Dragged David further.
"We gotta Move!"
"I got you, brother!"
Logan was stopped when an F1 grenade landed in front of their path.
"FUCK!" Logan exclaimed as he grabbed the grenade threw it away.
"We can get down here!" Logan said as he dragged David to the edge and jumped down into the trench and grabbed David.
"I got you!" Logan placed David behind an empty barrel and killed 3 more Soldiers with his pistol before dragging him again.
"Oh god, I'm bleeding out..."
"Just keep pressure on it! Almost there!" Logan dragged David until they reached the steps to the CCP.
"Come on up here! Move move!" Shouted a soldier at the top.
Logan dragged David up the stairs, getting about halfway when 2 Soviet soldiers appeared in front of them, but were quickly killed by the soldier at the top of the stairs. Logan finally set David down and applied pressure his stab wound.
"Okay stay with me. Where's private Winters?!"
"She went to heal at the 2nd CCP, She should've been back by now!" Replied a medic.
"Logan, I need morphine." Pleaded David, who was obviously in great pain.
Logan took out a morphine needle, removed the cap, and injected in David's leg
"You gotta hang on. Elsa's gonna be here any second. She needs you David!"
"I'm so tired, Logan. I'm gonna rest right here." David said, closing his eyes.
"No no no, you have to stay awake. Hey."
"Private Winters, we got a wounded!"
"Oh, thank god!"
Logan turned around to see Elsa rush up the stairs and kneel next to them.
"David! Oh my god! How long ago was he stabbed?" Elsa asked, tears running down her face.
"Maybe like 5 minutes ago."
"I got this!"
Logan moved his hands away as Elsa placed hers over David's wound. Suddenly there was a faint blue glow as Elsa began healing David. Merrick arrived with a few more soldiers.
"She'll take care of him. I need you with me, Logan. Listen up! There's a Soviet artillery cannon by the farmhouse up the road. It's tearing up the beach! Let's move!"
Logan looked back at his wounded brother. "We'll come back for you!"
"Check your ammo and grenades!" Merrick advised.
"You heard 'im! Up the road, now!" Ordered Rorke.
"Movin' up!" Said Logan as he and the rest of the squad moved forward.
"Cannon's up the road! When we get to the farmhouse be ready to engage!"
"Move fast! They're shellin' that beach to shit!" Shouted Rorke.
The squad arrived at the farmhouse, eliminated the soviets and were about to destroy the cannon.
"Walker, thermite!" Said a soldier who placed a helmet filled with thermite blocks.
Logan then pulled out an incendiary grenade and pulled the pin, and was about to put it in the helmet when he heard a loud noise on his right. What he saw when he turned to look shocked him.
There, just bursting through the low stone wall that surrounded the farmhouse, was an armoured Soviet soldier with two sickles attached to his left arm, and a large cannon attached to his right.
"What the-?!" Logan was so shocked that he dropped the live grenade he was carrying.
The Mangler then held up his charged arm cannon and fired, blasting Logan backwards.
Logan felt as if his eardrums burst from the blast. He was still very much alive, but he felt so disoriented he couldn't move. The Mangler then approached Logan slowly, much to his horror. Logan was sure he was going to die here.
(BOOM!)
Suddenly the thermite that was on the ground near the cannon exploded, destroying the cannon, and igniting the Mangler in flames.
"AH! AHH! AHHH! AGGGGHHHH! AAAAAAHHHHGGGGGHHHHH!" The Mangler screamed as he was burned by the fire. Finally he stopped and fell dead to the ground.
"LOGAN!"
The first thing Logan heard when he was able to hear again was Merrick's shout. He ran up to Logan and offered his hand, which Logan took.
"Are you okay?"
"What the hell was that thing?!" Logan exclaimed as he returned to standing on his feet.
"I have no idea. But whatever it was, it's dead now. Come on, let's go check on David."
Logan nodded and followed Merrick back to the CCP.
"Rorke, I'll need a casualty report. We've lost so many." Merrick ordered.
"But we took the beach."
"Paid a damn high price."
Logan then saw David and Elsa ahead of him. He was relived that his brother was healed and able to stand.
"How're you feeling?" Logan asked.
I'm fine, thanks to her." David replied, pointing to Elsa.
"Please don't be so careless again." Elsa said seriously.
"Yes Ma'am." David replied.
"Don't worry, I've got his back, and he's got mine." Logan added.
"To the end?" David asked, offering his hand.
"To the end." Logan replied, taking his brother's hand.
"Beachhead's secured. We'll bivouac at the second hedgerow after the ridge." Merrick announced.
Rorke stopped and turned to Logan.
"Welcome to the Bloody First. You're a long way from California, beach boy."
Rorke walked away and Merrick spoke to Logan next.
"None of us could have prepared for that. But you came through when it counted. Your dad will be proud."
"Thanks sir, I uh… Thank you."
Merrick put his hand on logan's shoulder.
"You'll be alright son."
"Yes sir."
Merrick then walked away and Logan looked down at his hands, which had some dried blood from David on them.
"Of course I will."