The Last Abrams

Showdown

Showdown

"The Baron is advancing to our city."

Jackson and Wyvern looked at each other. They didn't expect this to happen this fast. He sighed, "What are we up against?" Travis signaled to one of his subordinates and was handed a photo.

"Here," he said handing over the picture, "this was taken by our scouts." Wyvern looked over Jackson's shoulder and frowned. The picture was blurry but was clear enough to see what they're up against. T26 Pershings were driving over a field complemented with humvees and technicals and leading the charge was a crimson red, M60A3 Patton.

"How did they get one of those..." Jackson muttered. Having to fight one of those would actually be a problem. The technology may be obsolete, but the 105mm cannon could actually pose a problem against the Abram.

Wyvern looked at him, "M60s may have been replaced by Abrams, but any M60s in storage were refitted and sent to fight the Russians during the war." Jackson thought for a moment and remembered seeing the M60s fighting in Washington.

"Can you do anything to help us?" he asked Travis, hoping to have some support.

"We exhausted our AT munitions the last time he attacked," Travis shook his head, "however..." Travis murmured into his radio and a couple of minutes later, Jackson and Wyvern heard a rumbling coming towards them. Driving down the road was a pickup truck but that wasn't what grabbed their attention. Towed behind it was a 105mm howitzer, it's paint coating looking brand new.

"What did you do? Raid goddamn Fort Knox!" Jackson joked.

Travis chuckled as he slapped the gun, "No we didn't. We had these since the nukes dropped since these were used for celebration purposes. They were turned to working condition by our mechanics. With these, we will be able to provide fire support for you out there."

Jackson nodded his head, "Wyvern!"

"Yeah?"

"Get the tank!" Wyvern did a fake a salute and ran off. Jackson lit a cig and began to formulate a plan.

20 minutes later...

Wyvern shifted nervously in the Abrams. They were position next to the walls waiting for the first wave of the Baron's men. "Jackson?" Wyvern asked.

"Yeah?"

Wyvern turned around and looked at him, "What's your plan?"

"Destroy the tanks, kill the Baron, and get paid," Jackson grinned. Wyvern's face planted into the controls and out of the corner of her eye saw something on the radar. A blip at 3000 meters, then another, then another until 13 were blazing themselves towards his position. "Hostiles 3000 meters, front!"

"Copy that," Jackson responded swiveling the gun towards the radar signatures. Jackson brought down a radio to his mouth, "Jackson to Travis come in over?"

"Travis here."

"The Baron and his men are..." Jackson checked the radar over Wyvern's shoulder, "2800 meters out from my position, range your guns for 1500 meters." Jackson loaded a smoke round and fired. Then followed by another, then another, until the entirety of the land in front of them was covered by a thick veil of smoke.

"What's the smoke for?" Wyvern asked. Jackson said nothing as he looked closely at the signatures coming towards him and Wyvern. Jackson looked through his sights and switched on thermals while holding his radio. A couple of minutes later the blips reached 2000 meters and saw the first tank. Barely after seeing the first one, others followed and seen he trailed his gun on the first tank. "Jackson, why aren't you firing?"

"Just wait," Jackson said looking at the radar. 1800, Wyvern twitches her foot. 1700, Jackson gripped his radio. 1600, Travis readies the guns. The blips hit the 1500-meter mark and Jackson yelled into his radio. "Fire!"

"Fire!" Travis yelled as the howitzers sent their shells through the sky. Seconds later 105mm rounds impacted the ground around the tanks. Some rounds impacted 3 Pershings directly sending their crews to their graves. Other rounds disabled 4 Pershings, while the rest shredded and vaporized the soldiers and crewmen manning the humvees and trucks.

"Good effect," Jackson reported as he fired a sabot round into the front armor of a confused Pershing, shredding its armor like paper. The artillery barrage was a resounding success, eliminating 7 Pershings from the battle and confusing and demoralizing the enemies. Jackson looked through his scope again to acquire and new target when he saw a barrel of an M60 pointing right at him. "Wyvern reverse!"

The tanked shot back as around impacted the right side of the turret. Jackson's ears were ringing, "Status report!"

"Slight damage to the right side Chobham armor," Wyvern reported. Jackson looked through the commander's viewport and frowned. The goddamn Baron has thermals. Jackson formulated a plan. If the Baron could see through their smokescreen why not just get up close then?

Jackson grinned, "Wyvern! Gun it!" Wyvern slammed onto the gas and the Abram shot forward. A round impacted the ground in front of them, the Baron's no doubt. Seconds later their Abrams broke through the smoke and braked to the surprise of their opponents. Jackson flashed a toothy grin, "Surprise!". A round left the barrel and turned another Pershing into a burning hulk. Then Abram took off again as the other tanks tried to turn the cannons to them. Wyvern expertly piloted the tank to the flank of the tanks and braked again so another shell could be sent downrange. Another tank was set ablaze and soon only 2 Pershings and the Baron remained. Jackson was about to fire again as a voice broke through the carnage.

"I challenge you to a duel Abrams!" Screamed a voice. That voice coming from the Baron himself.

Wyvern snickered, "What idiot would accept that...."

Jackson turned on the speaker system, "We accept!" Wyvern looked at him with a confused look. As soon he said that the last Pershings reversed back, leaving alone a red M60A3. The two tanks looked at each other for a second and then all hell broke free. Both tanks simultaneously fired and each other moved towards each other. Jackson's shot ricocheting off the turret armor and the Baron's shot missing the lower gladius just barely.

"Jackson! What's the plan?!" Wyvern yelled from her seat.

Jackson fired another shell glancing the turret armor once again, "Get us closer! And for the love of God keep us out his sights!" The two tanks neared each other letting their cannons roar. 'How do we get the advantage?' Jackson said to himself and realized something. Jackson loaded smoke rounds again and fired it around him and the Baron.

"You think that's going to work again!" The Baron laughed and switched to thermal sights. As he looked through them, he was staring down the barrel of the Abrams. The Abrams fired and hit the camera disabling it and causing external damage. "Dammit! The Baron yelled as he fired blindly back into the smoke. The Baron popped open the tank's hatch as the smoke began to dissipate. He looked around until he heard a faint mechanical sound behind him. Turning around he sighed, "Well played..." As on cue, the Abrams fired a SABOT shell straight through the thin rear armor, detonating the ammo. A flash blinded Wyvern and Jackson, and when they looked back all they saw was the wreckage of a red, burning tank.

"We did it!" Wyvern yelled with joy seeing the wreckage. Jackson however didn't say anything as he opened his hatch and lit a single cigarette.