9 Ch.9

After taking the city and determining that it was safe to leave behind, we slowly moved up the west coast of Italy. It took us almost a week to reach Rome, during that time moving it was relatively undefended as we came across only a few company of soldiers. I along with the veteran soldiers in my unit were becoming increasingly uneasy, as we are now expecting an all-out defense of Rome. While the newer members of our unit were not as nervous, having no experience in the horrors of war. 

We finally reached the meeting point outside of Rome, there my unit set up camp as the other units were already there. I met with the commanders, British Lieutenant-General Morgan was there along with some other officers under his command. They all nodded to me as I entered the ruined building we were using for command meetings. 

"Colonel Howlett, how many did you lose?" Lt. General Morgan asks me once I enter the building. 

"Only a bit over two dozen," I say as he nods his head while looking back down at the map of Rome. The British officers look annoyed at my casual talk with their general but don't say anything since I represent the American top command for this campaign. 

"Better than us, we lost almost twenty percent of our forces… Glad you decided to take the other side of Italy. Now we can focus on Rome, though it appears there are German reinforcements along with the remaining Italian fascists," Lt. General Morgan says pointing to the areas where the scouts reported seeing groups of soldiers. 

We then spend the next several hours hashing out a plan according to the information we have available. After debating what to do, we finalize the plan of action. The British and other allied forces would be taking the East and South East side of the city. While my unit would be taking the West and South West Side of the city. There we would all push into the city meeting at the Vatican before continuing north. 

Once our plan was made we separated to begin relaying the orders, Lt. General Morgan stayed behind until the city was taken. As he was the top commander of this campaign, I headed to my Unit and relayed the orders. Everyone quickly ran around as the coming battle was ahead of us. Once we were ready, we moved out and I split my unit in two halves. 

Captain Raine would be taking the South West side of the city, taking charge of that half of my unit. While I led the other half into the west side, like usual I sat on the back of Sherman nicknamed Fury, commanded by M/Sgt. Collier. 

"I don't like this…" M/Sgt. Collier says as we make our way through the streets with infantry moving alongside us. 

"Too quiet," M/Sgt. Collier says as I nod my head agreeing with him. It was like there was no life in the city nothing was around us as we made our way in, and not even rats were seen. 

"Just keep moving, though keep your head on a swivel," I say to my surrounding men who just nod their heads with the tense atmosphere surrounding us and it only grows stronger as we move forward. 

An explosion erupts to our east shaking the ground and showing the strength behind the explosion. With the sounds of gunshots being heard right after it. Then the sounds of war, explosions, and gunshots break the silence making a few men jump at the sudden noise. 

"Fuck!" one of the men shouts as sounds of fighting break out to the east of us. Everyone glares at the man for shouting giving away our location, he just sheepishly looks down for his outburst. 

"Keep moving," I say as a few stopped after the outburst and sounds. Just as I say that my superior hearing picks up the subtle sounds of a German tank moving its turret ahead of us. 

"TANK 1'O'CLOCK!" I shout as everyone jumps and immediately takes cover. 

"BIBLE! GET READY!" M/Sgt. Collier says to his gunner nicknamed Bible due to his heavy conviction in Christianity and always carrying a bible around. 

"READY!!" Bible yells back ready to fire. 

"FIRE!" I shout as Bible shoots to the place I pointed out. 

An explosion occurs as the cannon releases its round, and then it smashes the building corner where the tank was hiding behind. The building shakes with debris and dust filling the street, while we hear some men screaming from pain behind the building. Coon-ass the reloader of Fury reloads just in time for the dust to settle enough for Bible to see the enemy tank. 

"Get'em Bible!" M/Sgt. Collier yells to Bible who aims and fires on the tank. 

Another explosion is heard from the cannon being fired, then a larger explosion is heard as the German tank explodes taking out the surrounding buildings and men. Seems Bible struck the ammo as the whole tank was evaporated in an instant from the ammunition all going off at once inside the tank. Everyone lets out a breath they were holding in seeing the enemies dead now. 

"Good shot!" I yell back to him as everyone is celebrating the small victory. 

"FUCK! EVERY–" I shout hearing the sounds of another tank turning a corner ahead of us. 

Then an explosion is heard as the tank fired at us, it missed Fury but smashed into the building next to us making it crumble. I was tossed off my tank along with my radio operator while some of my infantry was screaming out in pain from the blast. I pushed myself up after smashing into the building, looking down I saw my radio operator was killed with a piece of wood sticking out of his throat. 

At the same time, Fury was firing back at the Panzer IV which appeared down the street. While my infantry was dragging our wounded, with medics running over to help. The German infantry along with Italian soldiers came rushing toward us. 

"TO ARMS! TO ARMS!" I shout to everyone standing up and shooting at the infantry heading toward us. 

All hell breaks lose, as men on both sides are shooting at one another while the tanks duke it out in the streets. Men run into buildings to get higher ground, while others run through the allies to cut each other off, only making firefights break out all around us. At this point, the sounds of war and death became second nature to me. All I knew was to aim down my sight and kill as many men as I could. 

After what felt like a several-hour firefight Fury was able to disable the Panzer IV gun, but was most likely a few minutes at best. Allowing us to push the Axis soldiers who began retreating having lost their armor. Over the next few hours, the city became a place of death and ruins as buildings exploded and men died in droves. 

We were finally able to push to the Vatican which looked still intact even though the rest of the city was in ruins. I scoffed seeing the place practically untouched due to the fact the Vatican took the fascist and German sides until we came and took it over. Once we pushed the remaining enemies out they fled back north. 

Then a few days later, the rest of the country fell with the Germans returning to Germany. General Eisenhower then announced Italy's surrender to the rest of the world, marking the second major victory in the war for the Allies. My unit stayed in Rome holding the city for the next several months as plans for D-day were being finalized. 

Then one day as I was walking around the city I saw my men talking excitedly about something. At first, I thought it was someone getting laid again as the women in the city were happy to trade sex for supplies or money. I didn't care since as long as the women consented I was fine with it, I made it very clear that anyone found forcing themselves on a person would be executed by me personally. 

"Collier, what's got the boys all excited?" I ask M/Sgt. Collier who is smoking a cigarette while drinking some coffee at the local cafe which was one of the few remaining places not in ruins in the city from the war. 

"What?... Oh, here look," M/Sgt. Collier says handing me a newsletter that I didn't read yet and it just appeared to have come out. 

"Soldier Boy… What the fuck is a Soldier Boy?" I say looking at the newsletter showing a picture of a man wearing a weird-looking costume and holding a shield in one hand. 

'Did they change Captain America's name?' I think seeing the similarities of Captain America. 

"Apparently a company called 'Vought International' had something to do with finding a superhero. Yeah, I think it's a load of shit too," M/Sgt. Collier says seeing my face and looking at the paper reading it while I become increasingly confused. 

"Superhero…" I mumble but M/Sgt. Collier hears me and scoffs. 

"Yeah, I know right? Like that could even be real, they are saying this guy can do all these things. Well if that's the case why the fuck isn't he over here helping us?" M/Sgt. Collier says seeming very annoyed that this guy is getting all this attention for nothing. 

M/Sgt. Collier then goes on about his annoyance with this news, while my thoughts drown him out. I feel a small panic enter me as I try to rack my brain for information on this Soldier Boy. Though I can't think of anything and I feel maybe somehow I may have messed up somewhere now that Captain America is called something else. 

'Shit, I wanted things to stay relatively the same! How else can I predict what will happen and what to get involved in!' I think to myself as my previous plans for the Marvel world were thrown out the window. 

"You ok?" M/Sgt. Collier says snapping me from my thoughts having realized I was not listening to him.

"Yeah… yeah… I need to think," I say standing up and walking off, as M/Sgt. Collier nods his head going back to smoking and drinking his coffee. 

As I was walking around I heard my men talking about Solider Boy. Along with a few women approaching me trying to sleep with me for whatever they needed at the time. I just ignored them all and headed back to my room where I poured myself a drink and lit up a cigar. After a few glasses and puffs on my cigar, I calmed down, as I got my thoughts back in order. 

'Fuck it… Whatever I may have changed in Marvel, I will just have to deal with it. Though, I'll need to find more about this new Captain America,' I think as I look over the city below me from the balcony I was on. 

"Come in!" I shout having heard someone knock on my door. Entering it was one of the many radio operators who were keeping in touch with HQ Command. 

"Sir! General Eisenhower says our unit will be picked up in a week. It seems the time for storming Normandy is approaching," the radio operator says as I nod my head and take his report from Eisenhower. 

"Thanks… Inform the officers to relay to everyone to be ready by the week's end," I say reading the paper informing me that we will be picked up and shipped back to Britain for D-day. 

'I need to get laid,' I think as I leave my office and go find an attractive woman to sleep with. 

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AN: I've narrowed down the Female lead to two people, either Queen Maeve or Kimiko Miyashiro. Please vote on the picture I post in this paragraph section, by liking the photo. Any other ways of voting will not be counted, the vote ends next Saturday, 04/26/2024.