12 Ch.12
The following morning Soldier Boy and his group left back home, while I just waved them off with a smirk as Soldier Boy glared back at me. My unit and I then spent the next few days still here at Normandy before Eisenhower gave us the order to move south once our replacements came.
"Everyone ready?" I asked M/Sgt Collier as our replacements came a week later after receiving the new orders from Eisenhower.
"Yes sir," Collier says nodding his head.
"Good, then let's go," I say as our unit of now roughly five thousand men and three hundred tanks move toward Paris.
It takes us half a day to reach Paris, once there we see the large city is now in ruins much like Rome. Other than the occasional sounds of artillery in the distance the place was quiet with no movement. Not until we got closer to the command center did we finally come across people who moved about their day with a dead look in their eyes.
My unit then made camp near the command center as I headed to where Eisenhower should be relaying orders across the front line. Walking inside the building, I see dozens of radio operators and lower-ranked officers running around relaying new information and orders. I just walk past them all toward the main officer where Eisenhower is, I knock once before walking inside without waiting for a response.
"Why did you– Oh, James, you're finally here, good," Eisenhower says looking annoyed someone entered without waiting for him to give the ok.
"James, we have a lot to talk about. But first, give me a minute," Eisenhower says while going back to looking over the war map.
I walk over silently look a the map with him and see the movement that should be happening right now. Eisenhower looks like he aged another decade since I last saw him. Seems the stress of the war is starting to get to him, he then walks back out to relay another order before walking back and locking the door behind him.
I was about to ask what was wrong before he shook his head and gave me a very serious look. Then he walks around making sure we are truly alone before he sits at the desk with a heavy sigh. He then poured us both glasses of whiskey downing his and pouring another before finally speaking up.
"James… Please tell me the truth right now and I can help… I heard what happened at Normandy with Soldier Boy, is it true? Did you actually beat him?" Eisenhower says while looking at me with a curious and tired look.
"Yes, I punched him a few times and he went down," I say shrugging since there were a lot of witnesses and I have no reason to lie.
"James… are you… well, are you human?" Eisenhower says looking at me with complete seriousness and slight worry.
"What do you mean?" I say wanting him to ask me what he really wants to know.
"James I'm being serious here, are you a Super like Soldier Boy?" Eisenhower says while looking at me intently.
I sit there for a few moments considering the best choice of actions here. I knew that what I did with Soldier Boy would bring some attention. Just not this soon and as for what will happen next there could be all sorts of things. I just rub my face as I determine the next set of words I'm going to say.
"I wouldn't say I'm a Super, but I'm definitely not a normal person," I say to him while downing my glass with him sighing and pouring us both another.
"Shit… Ok… Listen, I can cover up what happened back at Normandy for now. Though with the connections Vought has it won't be long before they find out the truth. When they do, I'm sure they will fight to get to meet you and recruit you. However, I want to ask you something first," Eisenhower says looking at me as I nod my head waiting for him to continue.
"Would you be interested in being a government asset? Now I know that means a lot, but after the war, I'm going to run for President. Once I get that power I can make sure you stay under the radar and become need-to-know only. You will report only to the President of the United States," Eisenhower says to me as I think about it.
"I can't give you an answer right now. When you run and if you become President can we pick this back up?" I say to him as he nods his head. We both then fall into silence for a few minutes.
"So, what exactly is your power?" Eisenhower asks me giving me a curious look and breaking the silence. I just chuckle since I was waiting for this moment.
"Several things. Firstly, I'm pretty sure I'm biologically Immortal. I was born back in 1832 and fought in the Civil War before the First World War," I say to Eisenhower who stares at me in surprise.
"Holy shit… Ok, so you are old as fuck," Eisenhower says with a laugh as I laugh too.
"Second, I can heal almost instantly from any wound. And finally, these," I say showing my one hand and taking my claws out then cutting my other hand which heals instantly.
Eisenhower just stares at me for a few seconds processing this information I just dumped on him. He then just shakes his head in disbelief with a small chuckle before downing his glass again.
"This world is changing way too fast for me. First two major wars, back to back, and now Superheros have lived among us for at least a hundred years… God damn," Eisenhower says coming to terms with how much is changing.
"I hope you know James, I'll be taking this secret to my grave and if you need anything just ask me," Eisenhower says to me as I smile and nod my head.
"Thanks," I say as we clink our glasses before catching up and I answer all of Eisenhower's questions, especially about the Civil War.
Eisenhower then passes out at his desk having drunk too much, so I pick him up and place him in his bed. Then I sit in his office thinking about my future and how this world is definitely not Marvel or DC, meaning I'm in another place that I have no information on.
I don't have faith that the Government will be my friend, but as long as Eisenhower sets it up for them to not mess with me I will trust them. As for this company Vought, I know nothing about them. Though if they offer me better things than the government then I'll take it. However, that is something I will worry about once the war is over.
The following morning Eisenhower wakes up with a slight hangover. He asked me if anything happened while he was out. I just told him some new information came in from the front line, which I took over for him. After he gets his hangover under more control he takes back over.
"James, I need you and your unit to start helping push into South Germany. Head to just north of Switzerland and begin pushing toward Munich," Eisenhower says to me while holding his head which is still bothering him slightly.
"Understood, I'll gather my men and we'll start heading there immediately," I say to him as he nods his head.
I get my unit to pack their things and within the hour we begin our long march down to the border of Switzerland before heading to Munich. On the way down to Switzerland we had a few skirmishes with the Germans. After a few days of travel, we finally reached the border of Germany, France, and Switzerland.
"We are approaching the front lines! Moving forward we will be running into more and more Germans. I want everyone's head on a swivel and don't let your guard down," I say once we are an hour away from the front lines.
As we reach ten minutes from the front lines, the sounds of battle can be heard. I immediately tell my men to move in and assist our allies. I ride forward with Fury as my command vehicle at this point. We reach the ally command post, where I jump down and walk into it.
Inside I see several officers yelling at one another, two appear to be Captains. One from the US and the Other a British Captian. The third Officer is a Lieutenant from the French Resistance. As I enter they all look over and the US officer does a double-take before stopping to salute me.
"What the fuck is happening here?" I say as I walk over.
"Took you all long enough," the French Officer says.
"Shut the fuck up, I'm not your reinforcements. I'm here to push further into Germany. Though it seems you lot failed at holding the border. What happened?" I say while glaring at the French Officer who just glares back.
"The men sent further in ran into heavy resistance. There appears to be a German blockade keeping us from moving forward, sir," the US officer says to me as I nod my head.
"How many men do you all have? How many Germans are there estimated?" I ask them as I look at the map of the local area where the enemy should be located.
"We have maybe two thousand total, that includes the wounded. The Germans have maybe close to six thousand if our scout reports are to be trusted," the British officer says while sneering at the French officer.
"If you lot continue to argue, I'm going to hold you all under lock and key moving forward," I say to them making them all close their mouths.
"My unit is five thousand strong, with your remaining fighters we can break through them. Let me see the map and send another set of scouts out, I want to make sure they didn't move after our arrival," I say pushing them away from the map.
I then call in M/Sgt Collier and Capt Raine to discuss a plan of action with our men available to us. After we made a few plans, the scouts returned to inform new movement spotted where the Germans were reinforcing certain areas. We then made some adjustments to our plans before moving forward.
"Gather the fighters, it's time to move forward," I say to them as the officers nod and all go to relay my orders.
Collier and I walk back to Fury before making our way to our post. We'd be leading the charge in the center, the heaviest resistance. Though thankfully Fury was upgraded to a M4A3E2 (76) W, aka a Jumbo Sherman. Making it almost impossible for the Tiger 1 or Panther tanks to penetrate it from the front, however, a Tiger 2 would have no problem.
"Remember they have one King Tiger. So as soon as we see it, disable its gun. Don't focus on anything else," I say to Collier who nods his head as we begin moving forward with three other Shermans moving up behind us.
"I want everyone to call out when they are in position and then we move at once," I say over the radio which I now use without an operator since I kept losing my operator.
Once everyone calls out they are ready, I give the command to move forward and we meet the Germans head-on. The sounds of battle quickly are heard as guns, cannons, and dying men begin taking over the area.
