Bloodied Steel

      It’s 1941.

Operation barbarossa is in full swing

Somewhere near an Orussian city named Tula, occupied by Neuroi forces.

Karlsand and Orussian forces have begun their assault. Amongst the Panzers and aircraft are the witches, powerful young girls with magical abilities. One in particular was one of the newest recruits,sporting a Panzer 2 striker unit. She adjusted her cap covering her brown hair, only letting her lynx ears out and with a smile on her face.

Her name was Lisel Bauer.

She was in a Squad with four other witches, most of them were cocky and brash with one exception. A black short haired girl with a rabbit familiar who was trying to clean her glasses, her hands shaking. Bauer looked at her and decided to ease her nerves.

“Alina, we’ll be fine! Karlsland armor is the best!”

Alina looked back at Bauer, her lips trembled as she replied.

“S-sure?, t-this. .will p-protect us?”

Bauer simply nodded in reassurance as she looked forth at the city. The neuroi have taken the area a long while back, slaughtering the defenders and anyone unlucky enough to have stayed. Alongside that, there was a tank ditch in front that was dug in a futile attempt to stop the neuroi, now they had to bring light tanks with logs that will bridge over the gap.

Bauer aimed her gun as she simply said.

“Well, only one way to find out!”

Bauer drove full speed alongside many of the Armor units down the hill, her first objective was to cover the light tanks bringing the logs. She fired her gun towards the city, hoping to hit a neuroi walker. Quickly the field became saturated with neuroi beams, forcing Bauer’s squad to dodge or raise their shields.

The tanks and other witches opened fire aswell as they tried to suppress the Neuroi. Their efforts were worth it as the light tanks manage to reach the ditch and unleashed their logs to bridge the gap. Bauer looked at her squad and yelled.

"OK! LOS GEHTS!"

She charged ahead recklessly as her fired her gun blindly, Alina and the others tried to stop Lisel as they dodged Neuroi blasts. They crossed the log bridges and quickly advanced up a small slope, Alina and the rest of the team looked at the top and saw the burning hulks that were formerly Panzers.

Bauer meanwhile had been busy, Firing round after round at Neuroi walkers. She had become too focused on them to notice her team calling her name.

Alina Kept calling out for Bauer, rushing over the top and saw Lisel firing away at the neuroi. Bauer had failed to notice a Neuroi heavy walker aiming at her, Alina had no choice.

"BAUER! MOVE!"

"ALINA?-"

Lisel could barely see her friend push her before a loud boom sent her entire squad flying back.

. . .

Bauer was alive but severely injured with shrapnel in her body and her striker unit was practically destroyed. Falling in and out of consciousness, she looked slowly for Alina. One of the other witches was trying to carry Bauer back with another providing cover fire.

Lisel finally managed to see Alina, or what was Alina's burning corpse laying there. Bauer could only mutter a few words before falling unconscious.

"Alina.. Alina.. I'm sorry.. I. was wrong"

Time passes and Bauer awakes in the field hospital, her two remaining squad members were sitting near her. She sat upright and just stayed silent.

The doctors were busy looking at her wounds, Her squadmates trying to comfort the poor girl.

It was her first battle, And it would always be kept in the back of her mind.

End