Our Final King

Part 4: Hunchback of the East

(Hey guys real quick I'd like to point out for those who don't know, one of the IL-2 aircrafts historical nicknames was "the Hunchback" and "the flying tank". I'm only pointing this out for those who may not know.)

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Otto: "Hey I don't mean to interrupt your guys argument but there seems to be something loud coming from over the hill."

Fritz: That sound...that distinctive sound. A low rumble, bone trembling sound. Only one vehicle could make such a sound... "Hunchbacks..." I mumbled.

Kaiser: "Sir I don't like that sound. We better do something."

Fritz: "...run...RUN!!!"

And that was it, the hunchbacks arrived. Their guns firing, rockets flying, bombs falling. The sirens were blaring and AA batteries were firing into the air. These planes though weren't just going to go down that easily. They were well armored, almost like a flying tank of sorts. People were on the ground running for their lives. Kaiser got separated from the crew being stuck on the other side of a run down building.

Karl: "We're fucked! We need to get to the tank!"

Kaiser: "It's too dangerous! We'll get ourselves killed!"

*whistling of a bomb falling down* *crash*

Kaiser just stared at the bomb that had landed next to him. He looked up to the rest of the crew on the other side of the building taking shelter. He sadly knew this was it. All he did was smile and nod his head with a tear running down his face mouthing the words "Bis wir uns wieder treffen" (Until we meet again)

*KABOOM*

Fritz: "KAISER!! NEIN NEIN NEIN!!!!!" (No no no)

Fritz had tears on his face, running down like streams upon a mountain. All he could see is just rubble where Kaiser had sat. He was gone, a man of pride and dignity, gone forever. Flack peppered the sky, each shell creating a plume of smoke, like flies in the summer, black dots floating in the air. The sound of gunfire sending bone chilling cracks throughout the evening sky.

Fritz: "Kaiser...KAISER!!! Please!..." All I could do was move the rubble in hopes of finding Kaiser. The fighting had calmed down finally. I kept digging, moving more and more chunks of cement. And there he lay, lifeless. He looked so peaceful now, finally at ease. I still couldn't accept the fact that Kaiser; Loyal to all but never to himself. Never gave up and only fought. He had a newly wed wife, waiting at home for him. "Oh Kaiser, you fought well dear friend. Now you may rest for you have given your last breath. Danke."

Karl: "Sir we have to get out of here now it's too dangerous for us to stay. We have to leave now."

Fritz: "Nein...we can't leave Kaiser like this. He fought long and hard, he deserves a somewhat propped burial. Now come, help me. Grab the shovel off the tank."

Karl: "But sir we have to get ou-"

Fritz: "Shut it...just...shut it...you have been on my nerves lately Karl. You think everything will happen at once...war isn't an immediate action. It's a story that unfolds itself."

Otto: "I'll do it commander!" *salutes*

Felix: "That boy just fallows you around like a puppy. Do you give him treats every time he does something good?"

Fritz: "He is one of Hitlers younglings. The Führer's last hope. Just let him be, he'll find his way around eventually."

Otto: "Here commander! By the way the tank seems to be about ready. Maybe we could finish it up?"

Fritz: "We'll see Otto, we must get put Kaiser to rest properly first." War is hell. That's what everyone says. If war were hell to be hell then why is there no lava or demons or torture? War is a story, a story about history. Many people only see the negatives of war. Hence why it is called hell. In actuality war is the event that alters the future. It changes our outcomes and our generations.

About 2 hours had passed by and we had finally lay down Kaiser's body. We created a makeshift coffin for him. Simple plywood and nails. Nothing much but it was something to lay him down in. We put his badges, some photos and a few dandelions we had found along the road. Growing between the cobblestone road. I took my cap off and placed it against my chest. "Auf Wiedersehen alter Freund." (Goodbye old friend) We finally buried him and the crew walked back to the tank. Bodies lie everywhere from mechanics to infantry. I lit a cigarette and sat behind the ram down building. He coughed a bit and began feeling sick to his stomach. The thought of the war getting worse was getting to him. All the trauma, suffering, pain, and grief, getting to his mind.

Otto: "Commander! We were able to fix the last things! Just a fuel line and tweaks to the transmission. We are all good commander!"

Fritz: Karl was right, just like a puppy, always coming to me and tailing me everywhere I went. "Good, let's get out of here. Let's work our way back to Berlin. We won't last much longer out here."

Otto: "But commander you said we must keep pushing forward jä? Why fall back?"

Fritz: "It's too dangerous to push alone out here." We won't make it. If we push now we're dead men. This war isn't going in our favor. "Let's go..." we walked to the tank seeing Felix and Karl climbing in. "Felix! We're returning to Berlin."

Felix: *sigh* "Alright sir...Berlin it is. Why are we falling ba-"

Otto: "Don't question the Commander!"

Fritz: "Otto...shut it...we're heading to Berlin because it is our safest bet. Pushing forward will only get us killed."

Karl: "Well, if we're retreating might as well grab a white flag."

Fritz: "We're not retreating...we're...heading somewhere safer. Just trying to find common ground where we can fight safely from."

Karl: "Sounds like retreating to me."

Otto: "The commander is always right!"

Fritz: "OTTO...!!! Just...be quiet."

Otto: "I-uh...yes sir."

Felix: *sigh* "Ok here we go."

Felix started pressing the ignition but the tank wouldn't run. It kept turning but that was about it.

Felix: "Scheißer (shit), we gotta use the manual ignition. Otto go with Karl so we can get moving."

Otto: "Alright Felix, well Karl you can show me how this works."

Karl: "Jä..."

The left the tank, I can hear them chatter a bit. I couldn't exactly make out what it exactly was they were talking about but they seemed to get along a bit. I could hear the engine slowly picking up speed from the manual ignition. I could see the faint green light beside Felix start glowing brighter indicating the engine nearly had enough power to be turned on.

Felix: "Almost...almost...and...there!"

He quickly pressed the ignition and the tank roared to life. The Sla. 16 engine had a different sound to it the. The crew was used to. That petrol maybach sounded a little more flat compared to the small whistle this new diesel had. Karl and Otto had made their way back inside the tank getting ready to take off.

Felix: "Alright...here we go..."

The crew left for Berlin, the tank slowly picking up speed. These times we're getting harder and harder. They didn't know how much longer they would last. All they knew was that had to keep fighting.

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And that's the end of this chapter. Pretty sad, ngl I felt kinda emotional cause I imagined every scene as if it were a movie. Anyways hoped you all enjoyed. Bye!!!