Western Front/ Champagne/ German sector/ Town of Aure/ 1916/ 29 hours since initial Changeling Invasion
"Common move it! Move it!" The captain barked as he shoved people into the transport trucks. Adolf Hitler could hear the gunfire from the trenches and defenses along the road to the town intensify as his battalion became swamped with wounded from the engagements up ahead.
Most of the wounded were being put down left and right by corporals to bring an end to their pain and suffering from their acid wounds.
"Others were packed into the trucks as their drivers looked around nervously.
A large explosion was heard up ahead as 2 men from the Bavarian storm trooper regiment ran on the road to the town while Hans and his Regiment waved them to join them in their hastily made defenses.
"Resistance on the road has collapsed you need to evacuate the town now!" One of the men yelled.
"Fuck!" Adolfs regimental Seargeant yelled. On the back the battalion captain of the 6th Prussian who was previously shoving people into the trucks was stressfully listening to calls and telegrams sent from other regiments and division headquarters.
Battalion Captains POV:
"I repeat we cannot hold the road any longer half the regiment is dead repeat...NO! NO! NO! Agghhh!"
Was the last thing Captain Himmer heard from the 11th Storm trooper regiment in charge of holding the muddied road to the town from the phone wired directly to the regiments hastily made HQ.
"Get the heavy machine guns set up now!" Himmer growled to his men as they added the final adjustments to their hasty defense. Several of the shelled-out houses had been converted into makeshift bunkers and pill boxes with machine guns set up in the remains of window, snipers on the few buildings with a remaining second floor, the entrance into the town had hastily made shallow trenches and sandbags blocking it along with men from the 12th Infantry regiment, the 3rd stormtrooper battalion, and the 6th Prussian battalion which he also commanded.
This made up a grand total of 745 men give or take though they were in the process of evacuating their wounded and the regiments along the roads wounded though these regiments seemed to have been largely destroyed. Just a day ago a new enemy had showed its face and smashed through their frontal trenches and was savaging their way across Champagne. He doubted the French were having it better.
It was at this moment he heard the gunfire that had been getting closer and closer go silent.
The creatures. The hell spawn were upon them.
"Get ready!" he barked
He rushed over to the lead truck which was carrying wounded and some men to guard them and slammed his fist against it giving the driver the signal to begin to drive off. The truck roared to life and began to slowly make its way away from town in the opposite direction of the road leading into it soon followed by the others.
Himmer Loaded his Lunger and MP 18 submachine gun and got ready for the upcoming fight.
Adolf Hitlers POV:
Adolf nervously aimed his Gewerher 88 bolt action Carbine from his shallow trench towards the road leading into town. He could hear the buzzing noises those creatures made just before they showed their vile faces. He'd joined the army to serve the fatherland and make it proud. He couldn't afford to be cowardly even in the face of vile hell spawn.
His comrades looked at each other and aimed towards the road as well from their cover. Their arms shook with nervousness. Some threw up into their helmets before dumping the throw up to the side.
The storm troopers whose faces were obscured by their gas masks looked on with an equal amount of nervousness as these men who were the scourge of the allies were trembling as they aimed their Submachine guns and readied their grenades.
The entire situation wasn't helped by the eerie fog of the morning that obscured vision.
A loud screech was heard before hundreds if not thousands of the Insect hell spawn came into view.
"We've got Hostiles open fire!" his regiment captain yelled as Adolf and his comrades opened fired with their bolt action rifle, machine guns, and chucked grenades at the ones marching forward.
multiple of the insects went down before they retaliated was a blistering fire of their dreaded acid beams as one man next to Adolf, a storm trooper, had his gas mask and face melted off when he was hit straight in the face by the beams.
Two of the Creatures made it past the hail of bullets and flew up and landed on one of the roofs of a semi-intact house and sprayed their acid from their horns down onto Adolf and his comrades in their shallow trenches and behind their sandbag barricades.
1 of the machine gun crew was instantly killed of in a painful manner by the acid. Adolf took aim at one of the ones on the roof top and nailed it with a shot to its horn causing it to screech in pain before it was spayed down with MP fire.
The 2nd one managed to kill off another two storm troopers trying to kill it before it went down.
The swarm of the insectoid/ Pony looking hell spawn was flying all around the town at this point unleashing their acid down at him and his comrades as they were forced to bolt out of the trenches as hundreds of acid beams were sprayed onto them melting and burning several of his comrades.
He saw one of the ones in the dark blue armor have bullets bounce off it as it charged its horn and unleashed a massive beam straight into one of the defensive positions made up of sandbags annihilating the 4 men taking cover behind it as their limbs and body parts flew in the air and crashed back down.
Adolf fired back at the creatures with his carbine as the bullets bounced off their armored helmets as they advanced. One of them finally went down due to it being sprayed with machine gun fire turning it into a bloodied pulp.
More of the creatures were landing on rooftops and firing down at them one man trying to reach the remaining trucks leaving had his jaw melted off by acid and fell down squirming in pain as his tongue soon followed.
One of the last leaving trucks exploded when an acid beam hit its engine killing everyone inside.
"Fall back! Fall back!" his regimental captain yelled before having his head melted off him by acid.
Another man beside him had his arm torn apart by one of the large beams as he screamed in agony and clutched his missing arm.
"Fall back into the tunnels under hill 193!" the battalion captained hollered as what remained of the defenders followed after him in a hasty and chaotic retreat. The creatures began to swoop down picking up men and carrying them away into the air as they struggle hopelessly.
"Smoke screen! We need a smoke screen!" Adolf yelled as some of the skirmishers in his unit nodded and swiftly threw their smoke grenades behind and around them. The creatures soon began to lose sight of them but also their own comrades as they struggled to find the tunnels in the nearby hill.
One man beside him was dragged off as he screamed for help. Another he saw get dogpiled by several of the creatures who began to cocoon him.
Adolf managed to stumble his way into the entrance to the tunnel system as several of his comrades by the entrance waves him forward as they fired blindly into the smoke hoping to hit one of the insect pony hell spawns.
Right behind Adolf he saw a storm trooper carrying a man who was wounded by acid on his back.
Just behind that man the hissing and screeching of the creatures could be heard.
Tunnel system under hill 193/ 33 hours since initial changeling invasion
Captain Himmer turned one a spare lantern in the darkness of the tunnel system.
3 had already been used up and they were held up in one of the barracks inside the tunnel system and in room next to the barrack, that being the tunnel's main command center. They'd blocked off one of the hallways leading to their position after much effort using some of the bunks, shelves, and anything else they could find.
He had about maybe 20 or so men with him. The rest had decided to venture deeper into the tunnels and find maybe a way out or another telegraph line or phone like in the commander center they were held up in.
He looked around through the flicking light of his Lantern and the other two placed on the ground or on the one remaining shelf that they hadn't used for barricades.
One of the Corporals who he learned name was Adolf Hitler was panting on one the dirt walls of the tunnel and having a small nervous breakdown. The regiments medic was trying to deal with the acid wound of a wounded man carried in by a stormtrooper. The rest were either relaxing and looking towards the entrance in a paranoid manner, trying to request reinforcements through the command centers phone and telegraph, or having a nervous breakdown.
The eerie darkness of the hallways ahead did nothing to help the situation or the thought of the creatures who may be in the tunnels finding a way past their hastily constructed barricade.
The young Corporal Adolf Hitler soon got out of his nervous daze and breakdown and looked over towards the wounded man groaning from his acid wound. The wound had torn through parts of his arm and ribs, and it was a miracle the man was still alive.
Himmer looked over at the wounded man once again before he heard Hitler yell to the medic "Kill him!"
"Excuse me?" The medic said in shock.
Hitler walked over closer.
"I said kill him he's as good as dead and it will put him out of his misery." Hitler growled.
"I can't do that!" The medic stammered.
"Then I will for god's sake!" Hitler yelled back as he grabbed a Lunger Pistol from the nearby shelf and aimed it at the wounded and dying man.
"No have you lost your mind!" The medic yelled.
Himmer watched this go one before he spoke up.
"Corporal Adolf has a point. Go ahead with it Corporal" Himmer said sternly.
The medics jaw hung up for a brief amount of time before he grumbled and allowed Hitler to walk up to the dying man and aim the Lunger he had at the man's head before firing and blowing the man's brains out.
The Corporal then walked up to Himmer and handed the Lunger back to him as it was an officer's weapon. Himmer nodded before taking it and sending Hitler back off to where he was.
Tunnel system under hill 193/ 38 Hours since initial changeling invasion
Hitler drunk the last drops of water from his canteen before letting off several coughs.
The 5 Storm troopers among them had taken off their gas masks by this point and were cleaning their MP 18s while some of the regular infantry like him were sharpening or cleaning their bayonets on their rifles and carbines. He heard another loud set of coughs from another soldier resting on one of the few bunk beds remaining.
One man was eating his rations which consisted of crackers and some tinned sausage of questionable quality. They were all slowly losing their minds from Paranoia and stress. The captain was back in the command center of the tunnel system chatting away and requesting reinforcements for the 30th time. Reinforcements which Adolf doubted would come.
Then a sound echoed from the hallways leading into the lower tunnels.
Splash!
Splash!
Splash!
Everyone froze.
The captain rushed out of the command center.
"Corporal Hitler, Private Maus check out the entrance to the lower tunnels." The captain said carefully and looked at the entrance to the barracks and command center.
Adolf gave a small salute while Maus nervously nodded. Maus took the Lanter and a Frommer pistol handed to him by one of the Lieutenants with him and they carefully made their way out of the barracks and towards the entrance toward the lower tunnels.
They walked along the mud-stained floors of the tunnels and towards the lower tunnel entrance as they stepped on puddles of water making a Splish splash sound.
At the entrance to the lower tunnels, they found the dead body of one of the storm troopers who had gone with the many who went further into the tunnels bleeding out from a stab wound. His limb body laying against one of the wooden support beams.
As they took a step past the entrance and Maus waved the lantern around to illuminate their surroundings they found the bodies of 2 more dead soldiers. They had acid wounds on them and had their flesh melted off in several parts of their bodies.
Beside the thing beside the two bodies confirmed Adolf and Maus's worst fear. The body of one of the creatures.
"Shit..." Maus muttered.
"We need to alert the others quickly" Adolf said silently.
Then the low buzzing of insect wings was heard to the tunnel to the right.
"Oh god no..." Maus said silently.
Just then one of the insect/Pony Hell spawn creatures flew out of the tunnel at top speed and rammed straight into Maus with its horn as he screamed in pain as he fired his pistol wildly and dropped the lantern causing it to fall on the floor and start a small fire.
Soon more buzzing was heard as Maus grappled with the creature that had impaled him only for another one to fly out of another tunnel entrance and sink its teeth into his shoulder.
"Get them off me! Get them off me! Help me! God Help me!" Maus cried in Agony as Adolf opened fired at them his carbines muzzle flash illuminating in the largely dark tunnels revealing 20 more of the creatures coming from all sides. 1 went down before more piled up on Maus and began to cocoon him as he tossed and tried to fight back in vain.
Adolf fired his Carbine into the mass of them that was surrounding and cocooning Maus only to hear a hiss to his side and watch as one of the creatures jump right onto him.
Back in the barracks and tunnels command center
"What was that." One of the storm troopers said as everyone heard gunshots.
Himmer quickly realized that the Corporal and private he sent to check out the entrance to the lower tunnels was dead or about to be.
"We got to move now!" Himmer said as the storm troopers began to put on their gas masks and load their MP 18s while the regular infantry quickly fixed their bayonets and loaded their guns as well.
"Go! Go! Go!" Himmer hollered as he and his small ragtag platoon of men he had swiftly moved towards the left tunnels which were near the Entrance of the lower tunnel system.
They soon heard banging noises coming from the barricades they had created hastily before a large crash was heard.
"They're trying to encircle us! Go! Go! Go!"
They could already hear the creatures behind him. Himmer opened fired at 2 that tried to block their path as they appeared from an entrance to another tunnel before then dashing with his men into the left tunnel.
he could hear the Stormtroopers and regular infantry in the back of their small platoon shooting behind them and the screeches of the dying creatures.
They continued their frantic dash as they reached a ladder to an upper section of the tunnel Himmer allowing his men to go first while he and 3 others stayed behind and provided covering fire.
"I'm out of ammunition." One of the Storm troopers by him hollered as he panicked.
"Here!" Himmer Yelled as he threw his Lunger at the man to use before going back to keeping the creatures at bay with his MP 18. One of the Green beams soon flew from one of the creatures' horns and slammed into the chest of the infantry man besides him chest burning through it and killing the man instantly.
The creatures mainly seemed to be trying to get close to them as few were trying to use their deadly beams.
The Storm trooper with the Lunger Himmer tossed to him fired the guns last shots before dashing towards the ladder as Himmer tried to provide cover for him only for one of the creatures to shoot its beam at the man's right left melting it with its acid like butter causing the man to fall and scream in agony.
Several creatures then surged forward and dogpiled on him shooting some green goop from their teeth and cocooning him as Himmer tried in vain to stop them only for several to try to get him forcing Himmer to ditch climbing the ladder like the rest of his rag tag platoon and running deeper into the tunnel system.
He could hear the screeches of the creatures as they chased after him. Getting closer and closer.
Tunnel System under hill 193/ 38 hours and 45 minutes since the start of the initial changeling invasion
Adolf panted and groaned as he crawled agonizing and slowly over to the command Center. His left leg had multiple bite marks on it.
He hissed in pain as he crawled up to the phone on the table of the tunnels command center.
He was clutching his Carbine as he crawled, using it as support as he struggled to get up as he lost blood. He grasped the phone with a bloodied hand and painfully leaned on the table.
He rang the number of one of the command centers mentioned by the captain.
After what felt like hours, which in reality was just a few minutes someone answered.
"S-sir, this is C-corporal Adolf Hitler of the 12th infantry regiment... The remains of my regiment and those defending Aures were forced to retreat into the tunnels under hill 193...We were ambushed and they are all dead I think..." he coughed blood as he spoke weakly.
"I'm wounded and I'm losing a lot of blood..." Hitler added weakly
"Corporal this is Colonel Kamph of the 5th infantry brigade I already spoke with the captain in charge of the battalion with you is he still alive. I also need you to tie a torniquet with whatever bandages you have you understand me." the voice on the other side of the line said.
"T-the c-captain is d-dead I think... The rest of the battalion as well...I-I think...My Bandages are gone... Entire sector has collapsed" Hitler said weakly as he began to feel dizzy.
He could also hear gunfire from the other side of the phone line. The creatures were already attacking that command center he guessed.
"Can you say the last part again?" The Colonel on the other side said.
"My bandages are gone... The sector has collapsed..." Hitler said weakly as he began to lose even more blood.
He then heard scraping and groaning from the entrance to the command center. He weakly turned over to the direction of the entrance leaning his back against the table and dropping the phone as he with his remaining strength aimed his carbine at the entrance.
He heard the Colonel say on the phone line as he did this process.
"Ok you're going to need to find another pair of bandages and try to hide we cannot send any reinforcements to your sector yet. Find any survivors and try to break out to the town of Liry. Understand soldier."
Hitler coughed more blood as he weakly continued to aim his rifle at whatever was about to walk or crawl through the entrance.
"H-help me...Somebody help me..." he heard a voice moan as he saw the captain crawling through the entrance half of his face melted off revealing parts of his skull and rotting flesh.
"Help...Mee" The captain moaned in agony.
"Did you hear me soldier? Are you there?" he heard the colonel on the phone say.
Hitler took aim at the captains head the captain continued to crawl forward. With the last of his strength Hitler pulled the trigger and fired a bullet going clean through the captain's head putting the poor man out of his misery.
Hitler then collapsed on to the floor his vision slowly going black as he felt himself begin to fade away due to blood lose.
He panted silently and in pain as he felt his world slowly dim out as he entered the next one.