A/N: Sorry this is a day late, words cannot express the deep shame I feel. (just kidding, I am sorry though)
Here ends the Overlord Arc, so lets get to it.
Muse Section Chapter 10
7th June 1944, Somewhere Near Manneils, Normandy
Umi wriggled uncomfortably, opening her eyes, sitting up she yawned loudly. The ground was not the best place to spend the night if you wanted rest. Her limbs ached from all the running yesterday and her head was groggy from her relative lack of sleep.
Her wound in her abdomen still throbbed dully with pain, but at least it was no longer the sharp stabbing pains that she had tried to keep hidden from Maki or the new resistance girls yesterday, more like a constant ache. It was an irritation not a problem now.
Umi groaned stretching her arms and limbs getting the blood flowing through them again and expelling the last of the tiredness from her system in the process, a second yawn coming out of her mouth as she did so.
She looked around the small wooded clearing where the section had spent the night. Morning sunlight filtering through the trees would have added a touch of beauty and mystery to the place; instead all she got was the dull grey of overcast skies visible beyond the mottled shades of green above her.
The section had spent the night out in the field; Maki had had to take care of the wounded they had amongst them, and by the time that was done it was nearly dark, so Honoka had suggested they camp out. The resistance leader, Tsubasa, had offered her farmhouse for them, but Maki had refused point-blank to allow it, turning the shade of a tomato, babbling on about how they couldn't intrude a second time before muttering something inaudible about memory.
The redhead had a point though the house was over the river and all the bridges over it should've been destroyed by then, so there was no way back across it to the farmhouse where she'd received her treatment. Tsubasa then led them to a nearby clearing where each had taken turns on sentry duty while the rest slept on the floor, Umi had taken first watch knowing the others wouldn't wake her up when it was her turn because she was wounded.
"Hey how are you doing? Did you sleep well?" The question throwing the blue haired corporal out of her reverie, she groggily threw her gaze at Eli, the bags under her eyes, and her shattered posture indicating that she'd been on sentry duty for way too long.
"No not really. But seeing as you took Nozomi's watch again I probably had a better night that you." The corporal smirked; the small jump from Eli revealing that she was right about why the Blonde was so tired.
"I-I didn't mean…it's just Nozomi looks really cute when she'd sleeping." Eli's stuttering trailed off into a whisper, she saw Umi's gaze towards her soften.
"I'm just worried, if you keep pushing yourself for another person, you'll both get hurt if you fail." Umi watched Eli nod lightly the blonde agreeing, before a smile spread on her face.
"Like you're one to talk. Every time your girlfriend even blushes you fall apart and are basically putty in her hands." Umi became the same colour as Maki's hair and steam was nearly visible coming from her ears, Eli folded her arms grinning, her point proven by Umi's reaction.
"T-T-That's not what I meant! I-I don't even have a girlfriend anyway, Me and Maki…the whole idea is just shameless!"
"I never mentioned Maki did I?" Eli watched Umi go silent, her blush deepening and her eyes briefly going wide with realisation, the NCO processing her Freudian slip.
Umi opened her mouth once more after a few seconds of awkward contemplation, but before she could protest they were interrupted by a loud clattering noise.
"WAKEY WAKEY!" Honoka shouted, banging her mess tin with a spoon her noise causing a few birds that had been twittering to fly off in fright. The sleeping girls woke up in varying degrees of irritation, the main section was used to it, but A-RISE clearly weren't.
"Sergeant…" Anju smiled, like the ginger madwoman was the most charming thing in the world, but her eyes and tone told a different story.
"Good Morning everyone!" Honoka's cheery smile contrasted with the annoyed expressions of most of the clearings occupants.
Umi face-palmed at her friend's inability to read a situation. "Oh Honoka…why just why?" she muttered under her breath.
Fortunately people simply viewed the rude awakening as a mild irritation, and with most used to being woken up by Officers and NCOs who were much ruder than Honoka , they simply got up and went about their morning routine.
Umi glanced back to Eli, but the sentry had already disappeared to try and pry apart Nozomi and Nico who were already arguing this early in the morning. Apparently from what Umi could hear not everyone thought Nozomi's sleeping habits were as cute as Eli did. She sighed and got up herself properly, which entailed splashing water on her face and opening up a can of Spam to eat for breakfast.
She put on her webbing and slung her Sten over her shoulder, watching, everyone else do the same tasks as they got ready to go out into the world. Umi watched them all chatting and joking amongst themselves; Umi would go and talk to Maki but she was attending to her new patients, redressing their wounds and making sure their night on the ground hadn't done any more damage to them.
Tsubasa was openly trying to chat up Honoka and flirt with her like she had done all of yesterday evening, reducing their sergeant to a blushing stuttering mess that unnerved Umi because that was normally her reaction, the brunette had really taken a shine to her according to Erena. Kotori was shadowing Honoka like normal, occasionally throwing lines her way or trying to drag her away from Tsubasa, while failing due to the subtle directions of the green eyed A-RISE leader.
Somehow despite being under assault from all sides, Honoka with a grace and tact that was partly accidental and still amazed Umi. Managed to plan a route and an order of march for their way back, as well as count up their ammunition and make arrangements for the wounded.
Umi watched Honoka signal the section to gather round, groaning, she got up and walked over to the centre of the clearing, her wound aching again Umi watched, Maki keep flicking her eyes in her direction, more often than she normally would.
Why is she doing that? She's blushing a lot more than she normally would as well, nothing has happened recently. Right ?
Umi put the question to the back of her mind and instead re-focussed on what Honoka was saying.
"So that's all then any questions?" Umi gasped quietly realising that she hadn't been listening, and that she'd just done the thing that she always lectured Honoka on.
Oh God the hypocrisy…
Umi's self-loathing was interrupted by Rin who luckily for Umi's reputation as the sensible one, apparently also hadn't been listening. Honoka smiled telling her not to worry before briefly explaining the arrangements that she'd gone over.
"Are we all good then?" Umi asked to cover up her faux-pas.
A round of shaking heads greeted her as the squad all got up and started walking off in the direction of the nearby village in a messy sort of single file formation that Umi slipped into the middle of as the cut their way through the undergrowth of the woods.
Umi spied Maki walking a few paces in front of her, the redhead keeping an eye on the wounded girls walking a few paces in front of her, like any good doctor. Umi smiled at the care and attention that Maki gave to her patients, something she loved about the stubborn girl was her deep capacity for empathy.
Even if she doesn't always show it.
Still Maki had been more…distant, the past day or so. Umi's face screwed up in a fleeting grimace as the thoughts crossed her mind about how she was casually being avoided by her… well Umi wasn't sure what they were. They were lovers in every sense of the word, but both of them were much too shy, or stubborn to admit it. The mere flash of the word across her mind with all its meaning and suggestion caused Umi's cheeks to heat up.
Umi didn't like it though, something was up, she thought; jogging up the formation to fall in step next to the medic.
She tapped Maki lightly on the shoulder, causing the younger girl to jump startled upon seeing who it was walking next to her.
"Are you Ok?" Umi asked
"Y-Yeah I'm fine." Maki stared into the ground in front of her, twirling her hair and not meeting Umi's eyes, her answer was unconvincing.
"Are you sure? You've been kind of avoiding me since yesterday…"
"I've just been busy, that's all."
Umi scoffed at the obvious excuse "With three people? Come Maki we both know that you can deal with at least six walking wounded and two unconscious, and not even break a sweat."
Maki sighed, her gaze still firmly on the ground in front of her. "I'm fine Umi."
"You can't even meet my eyes, what happened, what is it that I did?"
Maki tensed slightly at the last question, before giving her answer uneasily "There was a time when we both struggled with that, remember? And you didn't do anything."
Umi shook her head, unsure of the answer given. "You weren't even like this two days ago, the only thing that I can't really remember is that farmhouse, so if it's something I did I'm sorry." The corporal noticed that every time she mentioned the farmhouse Maki tensed up again, the light blush decorating her cheeks suddenly became a deep red that matched the beret on her head
"Tell me Umi what do you remember about the farmhouse?"
Umi paused for a second placing her finger on her chin remembering back. "Well I remember being shot, the searing pain, and I remember you…your voice was what got me through it. We arrived at the farm and you kicked down the door before putting me on the table. It didn't really hurt by that point I think, but I can't really remember. After that you got me drunk then my memory is really hazy, the next concrete thing I remember is waking up with a huge hangover the next morning."
The redhead breathed a sigh of relief her shoulders relaxing visibly and her blush dying down. "Ok that's fine not much happened after that."
"Are you sure? I feel like something must've happened to make you worried, because I can vaguely remember you screaming my name quite a bit…come to think of it I remember you saying my name a lot that night. Do you know why that is?"
Maki clammed up again, the look of relaxation on her face gone. Her blush returned in ever greater intensity, her shoulders became tense once more; it looked like she was shivering slightly as well. "Oh!" she suddenly exclaimed "Look at that Rin's calling me over, got to dash! I'll see you later Umi." Umi looked behind her to see Rin walking in a slight daze with Hanayo, both of them eating and chatting with each-other.
The Medic thumped Umi's shoulder running down the formation to greet Rin, who was nonchalantly munching her rations.
Umi sighed at the terrible excuse Maki had come up with. Something was up something that Maki wasn't telling her for whatever reason. Clearly it was troubling her, and Umi really hated to see Maki in any kind of internal turmoil; plus if Maki avoiding her was a new normal she was going to miss their conversations, their occasional stolen kisses, and the spark of electricity that passed between the two whenever their hands accidentally brushed together.
She feels the same way right? I have to find out what happened that night.
A cry interrupted Umi from her reverie, she saw someone else weave their way through the wounded girls walking in front of her. Umi watched the section sniper deftly make her way towards her position. Kotori's ashen hair was spilling out of her helmet in an untidy mess and her rifle carried across her body like it always was. Her expressive golden eyes made it plain that Kotori wanted to talk to her.
"Hey what is it?"
"Oh nothing I just wanted to talk with you Umi-chan~" Kotori grinned suspiciously.
Umi narrowed her eyes analysing Kotori's face and her true intentions "What do you want?" she asked.
"Nothiiiing" she whined "I just wanted to talk…although now that you ask what do you know about that Tsubasa woman?" even Kotori's sweet tone and charming smile couldn't hide the venom in her voice when she spat out Tsubasa's name like it had a bad taste to it.
"About as much as you do I've only known her for a day longer…Honoka probably knows more about her than I do…but I'm guessing that she's the reason you're asking about Tsubasa."
Kotori remained silent, her smile fading as Umi's guess hit its mark. "Honoka went off on recon ahead, she didn't even take me like she normally would, and instead she took that woman." she recalled the moment that Honoka's face had light up at the resistance leader's offer to go with her. How she had run off before Kotori could offer her services as well. The gloom that the sniper had been trying to hide rose to the surface.
Umi gazed at the sadness in her friend's face, she slung up her Sten and threw her arms around the Markswoman's shoulders hugging her for a second while Kotori buried her face into her shoulder.
"Why? Why Umi-chan? Why doesn't she realise how I feel about her? She keeps flirting with her right in front of me and each time it hurts, every time she laughs like she used to do around me…it hurts." Kotori's eyes grew heavy with budding tears, her voice becoming more and more strangled.
Umi let go of her friend motioning that they should keep moving so they didn't hold up the formation. "I don't know Kotori…I honestly don't. I can't say whether or not Honoka is smitten with Tsu-" Umi stopped on seeing the hostility in Kotori's face to that name "… with that woman. But one thing I do know is you can't give up, if you do it's all over, as long as you keep trying to be sincere I'm sure that Honoka will notice one day, she's just a little dense when it comes to things like this isn't she?"
The flaxen haired girl nodded slowly, plodding forward. "Yeah, you're right. I just need to show Honoka-chan how much I care for her. I've taken her for granted for too long now I need to make her see how well we go together. After all she did promise we'd be together forever…"
Umi's smile disguised the doubts that she had about telling Kotori to keep pushing; she didn't like the intonation of the last word too. The girl was fragile, her father had been killed at Dunkirk and after that she had always been fiercely protective of those things that she considered precious to her.
"Thanks Umi-chan!" Kotori nearly tackled her friend with her hug before running off grinning, returning to the same old Kotori she always was.
Worry lines appeared on her forehead while she recalled the discussion she'd had with A-RISE last night.
"Are you sure you want to do this Kira-san?"
"Yep I'm sure, and please call me Tsubasa we'll be colleagues soon after all."
Umi blinked through the darkening sky to see Tsubasa's face lit up in a big smile befre she skipped off to go and tease Honoka some more.
Tthe same smile wasn't so easily replicated on her compatriots faces but still there was a receptiveness to this idea.
"Are you two Ok with this? She isn't pushing you into it right?"
Erena nodded slowly "sure it was always the plan that we join the Free-French when we could this is just finalising the Unit we'll join."
"Plus being a paratrooper sounds kind of fun anyway, and this way we get to stick with you lot if that's Ok with you?" Anju piped up.
The corporal nodded she didn't really have any objections but it just seemed a little rushed.
"But are you doing it for the right reasons?"
Both girls placed their hands on Umi's shoulder's sparkling smiles on their faces.
"Umi darling, there is no better reason to do things than love. That is the one thing we are sure about." Anju patted the bluenette's shoulder lightly.
Erena nodded in agreement, her face a mask of profound understanding. "And if there is another thing we are sure of it's that Tsubasa is smitten absolutely."
Umi narrowed her eyes at the bold claim a blush dusting her cheeks at the obvious implications. "Are you sure? Plus what if it isn't mutual."
Erena spoke while she and Anju chuckled lightly. "We're French we know love, and we've known Tsubasa long enough to be able to read her…Honoka well she wears her heart on her face, it's obvious what she feels."
Umi nodded. It was the case that the few times Honoka had talked to her the past few days it had only been about Tsubasa.
"Well then let's hope that your jump training is successful before we go celebrating prematurely welcoming you into the battalion."
Umi sighed.
Honoka's going to have her hands full when we get out of this.
40 Minutes later Outside Manneils.
Umi clenched her teeth; a loud 'bang' split the atmosphere from the other side of the tall hedge the section were crouched behind.
The air echoed with the near constant sound of machinegun fire and explosions tearing through the air, the leaves occasionally ripping and trees snapping around, thanks to rounds overshooting their targets on the other side of the foliage.
"So basically-" The section ducked lower in their crouching positions, the sound of the cannon interrupting Honoka's assessment, and temporarily drowning out the sounds of battle and deafening everyone.
Honoka cleared her throat loudly. "So as I was saying, he battalion are under attack by Jerry, and what's more is they've got tanks."
Umi strained to hear Honoka over the ringing in her ears seeing the look of grim frustration pass over the assembled girls, she raised her hand drawing the Ginger NCO's attention. "So what are we talking then Honoka? Panzer IVs? IIIs?"
"At least one Panther, that's what you can-" the interruption of their sergeant by another explosion was greeted once more by a collective flinch. "-Hear now. But me and Tsu-chan think there may be more on the other side of the village. What's more there seems to be at least one company possibly one and a half backing up the Panther."
Umi nodded, quietly noticing Kotori grit her teeth upon hearing the nickname Honoka had used.
"Is there any good news?" Nico asked sarcastically. A few nods of agreement passing over the squad.
Honoka smiled wagging her finger at the raven haired girl. "Nico-chan Nico-chan you shouldn't be so pessimistic…The Boche don't know that we're here for one, plus their infantry are all focussed on attacking the village meaning they're not facing our direction-" the shattering 75mm Gun of the Panther broke Honoka's explanation for the third time.
"Finally…" Tsubasa took up the explanation while Honoka glared at the hedge shooting daggers at the Panther that was hidden from view. "You lot have gotten set up and entrenched in the village meaning if we attacked we'd sandwich the Germans in between us and your defences."
"It's not a long distance as well, so here's the plan…" the girls all gathered in closer in their huddle. Honoka glanced over the hedgerow warily, as if waiting for the Panther to interrupt her. "We split up into our normal groups and punch through their lines to link up without troops. So Umi you take your fireteam I'll take mine, Tsu-chan you're in charge of the rest, we spread out and charge the enemy firing as we go."
"Who gets the Panther ~nya? Rin wants to play with the big cat!" Rin jumped up from her crouched position, enthusiastically waving her arms around volunteering for the job.
"Sorry Rin-chan, but I have a score to settle with that noisy brute." Honoka cracked her fingers fondling her remaining grenades in her webbing expectantly; the Panther fired again defiantly responding.
"Ok section move out! Good luck, not that we'll need it." The squad laughed at their leader confidence.
"ELI NOZOMI AND MAKI ON ME!" Umi yelled assembling her usual fireteam that were reunited in combat once again. Sometimes she'd rather be keeping an eye on Honoka, but being corporal meant she had to take her team and preserve the sections tactical flexibility.
The four girls scrambled up the embankment of the hedge while Honoka and Tsubasa barked short sharp orders in French and English to their teams.
Umi caught sight of Honoka signalling for Umi's team to move beyond the hedge quietly and hold their fire. She quickly nodded and relayed the sergeant's orders to her team in a loud whisper.
They picked their way through the thick undergrowth, crawling on their stomachs to minimise their profile, the sounds of battle reminding them that they didn't want to encounter any Germans or worse get shot by their own side.
The long grass beyond provided cover, but was just low enough for Umi to quickly assess the situation, by getting up onto one knee.
The Panther was firing into the village; the commander had wisely battened down the hatches considering how close he was to multiple trained markswomen.
That'll just make it easier for Honoka to do her bit.
The tank's gun flashed once again, the shell caved in a room of one of the village's houses, meaning Umi could now see the cloud of debris and dust that was flung up from it's unfortunate target, the cries suggesting it had been occupied.
The Germans were formed up behind a few trees and what meagre cover the ground offered, their attention on the defenders in front of them they were all too exposed from behind.
Umi ducked back below the sea of yellowing grass, she tapped Nozomi's foot, indicating that she wanted her and Eli to set up on a nearby tree stump. The Bluenette crawled forward keeping low while Maki followed her both were mere metres from the attacking Germans.
The rustling nearby suggested that Honoka's team was in a position that suited them already, working as fast as she did.
Umi dared a quick look above the grass again only to see Honoka had already climbed onto the tank and was Knocking on its cupola. An incredulous German commander popped his head out of the tank obviously expecting one of his men.
Instead Honoka opened up delivering a quick burst of her Sten to his face, Honoka dropped a grenade in to the tank, the commander slumping down lifeless along with it.
Honoka jumped off of the metal beast shortly before flames roared out of the hatch, and the tank tore itself to pieces. Jagged searing hot metal and supersonic gases and flame spewed out of the previously secure hull.
"Open Fire!" Umi yelled anxious to preserve the element of surprise. Nozomi's Bren thundered tearing pieces out of a nearby tree and despatching one whole section of Germans in a blaze of fire blood and splinters, bullets thudding into their bodies. The sickening fleshy 'thowcks' audible even over the noise of battle.
Umi fired a burst of her Sten, from her crouching position forcing down one group of Germans on the ground, trapping them between her and a few soldiers in the village.
Maki moved up taking her position next to Umi's the two fired into the grey clad forms in front of them in short bursts for a few more seconds before the medic frantically pointed to Umi's right
"Umi we have to move!" Umi glanced over her shoulder keeping her gun pointed at the danger in front of her.
The redhead was right; Honoka and the others were sprinting past the burning wreck of the Panther and in the distance she could make out Tsubasa's white jumper, gesturing and giving orders to the ragged line of women that ran by her.
"Nozomi! Move Up!" Umi tapped Maki's shoulder, running to the nearest tree flattening herself against it, Maki lying down using the roots as cover. She let off another burst from her Sub-machinegun to make sure that Nozomi's run wouldn't be interrupted, The intermittent chatter of both her's and Maki's fire keeping the enemy's heads from popping up
The blur of purple and blonde sped past the two girls providing covering fire vaulting one of the fallen tree trunks that littered the field, both of them barrelled into one of the housed Nozomi using her shoulder to break open one of the doors.
Both girls stopped Nozomi reopening fire to give Umi and Maki more cover.
The blue haired NCO kicked Maki forward with her leg, a silent signal for her to go first. She glanced at the redhead on the ground, their eyes meeting for a brief second, Maki's purple eyes questioning whether Umi would come with her. Umi mouthed her reply. "You go first." she intended to stay out, to make sure that the Medic got to safety before she would make her move.
Maki gave a small nod, before sprinting out firing her Sten to her side as she went. Casings flying everywhere, the diminutive gun spat death erratically across the grass. Bullets kicked up dirt tracing a path in the wood and the ground, sending down one unlucky soldier like a ton of bricks.
The Germans all sprinted moving like lizards zig zagging to make themselves a harder target, it looked like they were running away. Umi squinted at the Germans while they ran, one of them had a metal tube with a large cylindrical metal object on the end
A Panzerfaust!
There was no time to waste, a few more seconds and the Germans would have the perfect shot on the house with her team in it.
Umi steeled herself, she slipped a grenade out of her pocket, and she breathed deeply. Dashing forward as soon as Maki had vaulted into a partially destroyed house Umi's lungs burned ad her legs slapped the ground unevenly throwing herself forward aiming for the limited cover afforded by a distant tree stump. She heard bullets pass overhead. The Germans had gotten bolder. Pulling the pin on the grenade, she slid behind the stump, throwing the metal object at the Germans. The explosion was accompanied by yells of pain and a spray of dirt and the mist of blood that was thrown skyward.
The poor hapless soldiers were tossed around like ragdolls in a gale as they were thrown clear into the air. Umi fired the remainder of her magazine into the few remaining soldiers. The heat emanating from her gun was immense, and nearly scalding but Umi ignored the feeling, simply continuing to fire forcing them to flee.
A rifle crack and the impact of a bullet into the stump drew Umi's attention to a squad of Germans advancing menacingly towards her firing the occasional shot in her direction. Their expressions made it clear that Umi should get to the relative safety of the village. She jumped over the stump and sprinted making a beeline for the house her comrades were housed in.
A few bullets impacted the wall sending stinging bits of masonry into her eyes while Umi jumped over it diving into the house, landing in a heap next to Maki.
"You guys took your time." Umi looked up to see a blonde man standing there tapping her foot impatiently.
"Jenkins was it?" she asked cautiously
"We got the job done though, and saved your skin while we were at it." Nozomi grinned like the Cheshire cat, leaning against the wall.
The lanky man bristled unable to rebut Nozomi's snarky comment. "Just get into the square!" he pointed out of the door frame that led into the village.
Umi sighed picking herself up off of the ground dusting off her uniform briefly before the team headed out into the square.
Gunfire echoed from nearly every house entering the shattered square. The purple haired figure of Fumiko greeted them, waving them in another direction, the backs of Honoka and her team, visible running to the opposite end of the village.
"Glad to see that they found you" she shouted as they jogged past her.
"Yeah! Most of us made it but we've got wounded, but they're with Tsubasa!"
"The resistance leader?" Fumiko asked quickly.
"Yeah that's her." Umi looked around the square, seeing Tsubasa's team emerge from one of the houses with their wounded.
"Lieutenant!" Hideko and Mika ran up to the officer, Hideko falling behind because of the heavy PIAT. Both girls tackled their Officer in a hug when they got to her. Fumiko looked briefly annoyed before embracing her comrades back.
"You guys made it…" The officer's focus snapped back to the new arrivals. "Leave the wounded and Follow the corporal, you guys are needed elsewhere!"
Umi saw Tsubasa nod taking her two comrades and leaving the rest with the lieutenant, jogging up behind Umi entering a long building at the end of the village that Honoka had just disappeared into.
"Ma'am!" Umi quickly saluted seeing the grey haired silhouette of their Captain,
"They found you then, we were starting to get worried, and instead it looks like you brought some friends." The mature officer gave the three French girls a slightly warm smile before turning back to Umi. "Follow your sergeant upstairs. They've got a Stug and a Panzer IV ut there and we've got no AT ammo left, form what I heard neither have you."
Umi nodded. "That's right Ma'am, how did you know?"
"I have my sources." Umi was surprised by the mischievous glint that appeared in the golden eyes of Kotori's mother. "The point was regardless of circumstances we have to hold this position, I've got word that reinforcements are on the way but they could be days or minutes. Until then hold the line girls!"
"Yes Ma'am!" the team shouted in unison, saluting crisply.
"Tsu-chan up here!" Umi saw the brunette bolt up the stairs at Honoka's face rounding the landing beckoning up her friends.
A tense silence descended, the girls joined with their sisters in arms.
The squad, now reunited lined up along a broken section of wall. Glaring out on the expanse of green in front of them at the two Tanks that sat there expectantly, the distinctive grey figures of infantry slowly pressed forward, using the armour of the tanks as cover.
"Sergeant Do we open fire?" Hanayo asked, finally breaking the tense silence
Honoka shook her head. "They'll blow the first muzzle flash they see out of here, I'd rather go home in one piece." The ginger girl pondered for a bit. "Kotori-chan, if you can hit the shell, down the muzzle of the gun when they've loaded that would destroy the tank right?"
Kotori thought for a second, aiming down her scope at the target gauging everything about the shot. "In theory yes…and I think can make the shot"
"Try the Stug…"
The reflection of light from the scope glowed in Kotori's eye, the section appeared to hold it's breath along with her, the lithe girl exhaled slowly, squeezing the trigger.
The rifle echoed with a sharp crack.
The low profile of the Stug, suddenly spat flame and metal, the bullet hitting it's mark, detonating the ammunition that was loaded in the barrel.
"Thanks Kotori-chan!" Honoka kissed the girl's forehead, just below her flaxen hair. Umi watched her cheeks turn deep red, she herself got a little flustered.
An explosion rocked the building, the German infantry scattering, a few bursts of sub-machinegun fire that followed being silenced by the roar of the Panzer IV's 75mm shell hitting the building.
"He won't miss twice." Honoka said grimly.
Umi gulped, her throat suddenly dry, she watched the tank make slight adjustments to it's aim.
Honoka's right
Kotori's rifle snapped through the air once again, Umi saw the side of the turret spark with the impact of the round.
"I missed…" Kotori's voice was almost silent, the implications of her small failure larger than ever. The sniper gritted her teeth and cycled her bolt firing again at the tank, each bullet failing to hit its mark…
The blue haired corporal felt strangely calm, staring down the barrel of the gun that would bring her death. She glanced to her right, seeing Maki lying there, perhaps she regretted that Maki would die too, but at least they'd die together. Umi closed her eyes waiting for the last sound she might ever hear.
The roar of the Tank's gun echoed through the blankness that Umi could see
But something was up, seconds passed and Umi could still feel.
Shouldn't we be dead now?
The bluenette slowly opened one eye, casting her eye over the battlefield in front of them. The Panzer IV was stationary, smoke poured out of it's engine and the crew had bailed out sprinting with their infantry away from the site.
The green box turret of a Cromwell tank poked out from the hedge behind it. The entire beast lurching forward, other shapes emerged from the trees behind it. Cheers echoing from other units, the recognisable shapes coming into view.
"Cromwells…a Churchill…" Umi muttered to herself, the realisation sank in across the section, a sigh of relief went up, as it always did after these situations, this wasn't the first and it wouldn't be the last.
Honoka jumped to her feet, she yelled "REINFORCEMENTS!". She waved at the commanders of the three tanks that had saved their lives, who had emerged from within their machines; a wide grin on her face.
The Tanks rumbled across the dirt finding the nearest stretch of road and rolled into the battered village, to the cheers of the Paras that were there.
Umi sighed, the endless stream of armour rolling through the town causing all sorts of noise, fumes and dust, tanks of all shapes and sizes came and went, Fireflys, Cromwells, the odd Churchill. The three vanguard tanks that had arrived from the 12th RTR were plonked in the centre of the square. Captain Minami was chatting with the young lieutenant who was their troop leader, a blonde girl with blue eyes who wore her hair in a French plait below her black beret. Her loader and gunner were sat on top talking with Eli and Nozomi, the one with orange hair being the quieter of the two. It was a bizarre scene in the midst of all the destruction; but then again 12th RTR were known as the tea ladies, each girl had a nickname of some kind of tea and all were obsessed with the stuff, the troop leader had even emerged with a cup of tea in hand.
Umi smiled seeing Rin Hanayo standing nervously to one side talking excitedly with one of the Cromwell commanders, who was about as lively as she was, her red hair flailing about whilethey made exaggerated hand gestures while swapping stories.
most of the tanks had infantry on top or walking by their side, all of whom looked a lot cleaner than they did. The Paras joked with the new arrivals, both sides throwing insults at each other, mostly the men who had arrived with the tanks.
"Oi Love! Bet you had an easy time of it! How 'bout I show you a real workout at my place!" Umi watched yet another guy take a shot a Nico, who was slumped against the café wall like Umi and most of the squad; the girl's diminutive size attracted more bastards than the norm.
Nico took a deep breath yelling "Piss off! You couldn't handle me, and neither could your sister last night!" the girls who were still awake tittered, the priceless look on the soldiers face realising he'd picked on the wrong girl.
Well all of us could kill him with our bare hands, so not like the same wouldn't apply to any of us.
The rumble of tank engines and the tramp of infantry gently lulled Umi to sleep, Maki slumped down next to her, mostly still ignoring the corporal for whatever reason it was, but when she fell asleep she fell against Umi's shoulder, her gentle breaths, her sweet smell even after all that had happened, her warmth all reassuring sensations to Umi while she gradually fell asleep.
Safe in the knowledge that for a while at least their job was mostly over. But the intensity of the war in Europe had just gone up a notch.
As Umi's main phase of Operation Overlord ended she realised something that regularly came to mind. The realisation that nothing would be left unscathed.
A/N: Again sorry for the late update.
Soooo that was the Operation Overlord Arc, what did you all think? For those wondering there will be about 5 confirmed arcs with potential post-war stuff as well.
Soon I'll be moving onto my Revolutionary TsubaHono so I'll update this and that on alternate weeks
The results of the poll as to where I go next were literally a dead heat, so I'll go with my gut and say that after a few fluffy chapters of filler we're off to Arnhem the one we know
Now all I need is all of your opinions on what revolutions you want. I NEED MY DATA FIX! either do the poll on my profile or leave a review.
Before you all ask Sunshine Might feature and the 12th RTR will make another appearance Kudos for guessing who they are based off of. (those who guess right earn an insert into my story)
On an unrelated note; Next Time: Who's ever heard of the Screaming eagles? :)
Glossary:
Panther Stug : late-war german medium tank, based in part off of experience with T-34s on the eastern front. Short for Sturmgeschutze III a german armoured assault gun/tank destroyer respectively
Boche/Jerry: slang for Germans
RTR: Acronym for Royal Tank Regiment.
