An Interlude. No HTTYD characters in this one, sorry. But don't worry, I will simultaneously be working on the next proper chapter!
This chapter will appear in the fictionpress release for my own Alternate WW2 story. Guess Whoooo's in this one?
And another message: the recent READTHIS chapters that went up are no longer accurate, seeing as I deleted them. However I am skating on thin ice.
His blue eyes flitted from side to side, looking over his consorts. The Top Commanders of his armed forces stood before him, heads bowed. His mouth turned down as they took their places at the semi-circular table. Wetting his lips, he spoke to the men who, although great commanders, were making severe mistakes even with the war going this well.
"Sit down Gentleman." Adolf Hitler growled to the Generals, Admirals and Marschalls. The scraping of chair legs and shuffling of feet followed and the men were soon all seated. Hitler remained standing. Standing straight, he reached to a draw, pulled it open and took out a Walther P38 pistol. He clacked it open, making sure it was loaded, before snapping the breech shut and cocking it. Still inspecting the weapon, he said his next words.
"There are people in this room have failed me," he gnarled, "Most of you will be given one more chance, but I'm afraid one of you, has lost too much status to be considered useful any-more " Hitler looked upon the men. Many were still, obedient, but a couple were sweating, pulling at their shirt collars or fidgeting in the chairs. Menacingly Hitler raised the gun and pointed it at each man, with even the hardest disciplined showing signs of fear. He momentarily stopped on Döenitz, who choked back a plea for mercy. But the GrößeAdmiral was not the Führer's target. Eventually, the gun stopped on Wilhelm Canaris, head of the Abwehr. The man gulped started sweating profusely, hoping the weapons muzzle would move on. But the Walther held straight and true.
"Canaris!" Hitler spat, "You have allowed you organisation to be infiltrated by the NKVD. There are Reds in my country Wilhelm and all because you were too blind to see them." The weapon spat and Canaris flinched. The other commanders snapped around to look at their comrade, but saw he was unharmed. None was more confused than Canaris himself.
"Mein Führer," he sputtered, "Es tut mir leid, I will be more vigilant, Thank you for sparing-"
"SILENCE!" Hitler screamed, and Canaris stopped in his tracks, "I have not spared you! That was merely a signal." The Conference room doors burst open, lighting up the room significantly and two SS guards came in, dragging a dishevelled Abwehr operative into the room. Canaris gasped as he noticed who it was.
"Oster? What Gott's name has happened?!"
"That isn't Oster, Wilhelm," Hitler continued, "It is a Soviet operative who just looks like Oster." The tyrannical dictator waved his free hand and the enemy agent fell to his knees. One of the guards aimed his Sturmgewehr 45 at the man and pulled the trigger, sending ten 7.92mm bullets into the Soviet's spine. The Oster lookalike crumpled to the floor, his face blank.
Canaris looked back at the Führer, aghast, and found the barrel fo the Walther in his face.
"I knew I should've gotten rid of you a long time ago Canaris. You fell for Mincemeat and you fell for Fortitude. You shan't be falling for anything else... except the floor of this room!" Canaris sat in shock, speechless and immobile as Hitler pulled the trigger. This time, the round was not a blank. A 9mm Parabellum was ejected from the muzzle and hit Canaris squarely between the eyes. The life in his body instantly gone, Canaris's body slumped in it's chair, Generalfeldmarschall Keitel, staring into the lifeless eyes, fearfully.
Hitler grunted and dropped the pistol on the desk. Smiling he sat down in his high-backed seat and reclined.
"Dietrich! You may enter." The doors opened again. A smartly dressed civilian waited patiently as the SS officers dragged the two bodies from the room, before entering and taking the now-empty seat next to Keitel.
"Gentlemen, may I introduce Dietrich Gunter, the new head of the Abwehr's replacement, Projekt Wachsame Augen." Gunter nodded and offered his hand to the distressed Marschall next to him, who shook it carefully, "Dietrich, would you please explain how much more successful you have been?" The arrival stood up and, cleared his throat and began his little lecture.
"Projekt Wachsame Augen is the codename of the little organisation I run. Normally, we do small time detective work, but Der Führer employed us a year ago after growing dissatisfaction with the former Abwehr." He emphasised the word 'former', telling the others that the intelligence agency had been shut down, "Already, my agents have operated flawlessly, far better than even the hardiest Abwehr spy. We have successfully infiltrated the British, American, Chinese and Soviet military's, providing much needed information to Der Führer. Marschall Keitel?" he turned to the still shaken man seated next to him and addressed him directly, "We have discovered that the KönigsTiger will be insufficient against new Soviet armour due for adoption by the Red Army later this year and next year. I suggest you hurry up and build some working Panzer VIII Maus, Löwe and Entwicklung series vehicles and have them ready for mass production by October." The Marschall looked up at him, incredulous.
"Impossible! We have only just started getting the capability back to mass-produce Jagdpanther!" Gunter slammed a fist into the table, sending Keitel into silence.
"It can be done." The spy-master snarled, "Dönitz! Your carrier fleet is good and strong. Thanks to our Japanese allies, the majority of the American carriers are in the Pacific. However, the aircraft they are using are outmatched. We have had the Immelmann and the Von Richtofen dispatched to the Graf Zeppelin's location to re-equip her and the Seydlitz. Our Allies have pitched in and are helping out with the Jun'yo and Aquila. Make sure Fleicher is aware." The Head of the Kriegsmarine nodded glumly.
"Göring. We are ahead in jet aircraft technology. Howver, the Russians have captured one of our Me262's and have copied the engine's. They will likely be fielding jet-powered aircraft by the middle of next year, most likely converted Yakovlev's. The Messerschmitt HG projects are adequate for the task as are the Focke-Wulf Ta183 and Heinkel Volksjager. Additionally, please decommission the Ju187. It is obsolete. We recommend the Henschel Hs132."
"Thank You Dietrich," Hitler interrupted, "That will do for now. I would like your detailed report delivered in fünf uhr." With that, Gunter nodded and sat back down, awaiting dismissal, "Alright, you may all go. You will each receive a copy of Dietrich's report. Use the information wisely. Dismissed." The military commanders rose from their seats and left, each giving the Nazi salute before stepping out of the door. None said a word. Gunter was last to leave. He turned around, clicked his heel, snapped to attention and raised his arm in the salute.
"HEIL HITLER!" he shouted, the intention in his voice telling the others of their mistake. Only three came back, Doenitz, Göring and Keitel.
"Heil Hitler." They repeated, saluting once again, before leaving hurriedly Gunter nodded at them as they retreated before he finally stepped out and closed the doors behind him.
Hitler smiled cruelly. He had an ally in Gunter, a fierce, loyal Nazi who would put his absent-minded commanders in line.
"Heinrich, you may come out now." A figure stepped from the shadows of the dark room. His face was burnt and scarred from the attempt on his life, but he ignored the constant pain he was in, "How is the progress with the Transition weapons coming along Reinhardt?" Reinhardt licked his swollen lips tentatively.
"Sehr gut, mein Führer. I am told that one of the ship-based aerial devices was mistakenly used against an enemy aircraft near Iceland. Attempts to retrieve him are already in action. As you are aware, an Fa223 D-3 Drache has been dispatched with enough weapons to ensure it and the 'lost' Spitfire can safely return to our time."
Hitler frowned, "Gut, but what will happen to the pilot fo the aircraft?"
"He will either be imprisoned or executed. I would prefer his is executed or has come to grief in yesteryear." The Dictator grinned.
"I think I would like to meet him, to find out what wonders he has encountered. Then he can be killed. We have no use for Norwegian schwein."
Sorry for historical inaccuracy concerning the commanders. remember this is an alternate timeline. I will explain how they got to that state in the fictionpress history to this timeline.
