An hour and a half later, after you have laughed with Lily as you flew by the SUVs at over 150, you approached Wendover. Lily insisted in not taking the car anywhere near their base. Instead, it was parked in a warehouse some bit away

You got out, locked the car and accepted the rifle Lily handed you

>And uhh… 
“Yes?”
>I can't act nice to you while the others see
“Figured you would say something like that”
>I'm sorry. But they have no idea who Lily is, and they wouldn't listen to her
“I get it, iron discipline, no feelings. The other you”
>And one last thing
“Yeah?”
>Don’t say my name. Please
“Your name…?”
>You call me what i want to be called. They don’t. But you can also not call me that in front of them
“Lily… we might just live for another three days, and i’m supposed to just nod when you speak?”
>I-it will be fine, just a few days and-
“No! No Lily… We might just have these few days. I don’t want my last three days days in a garage among 99 faggots i don’t like and i do, but can’t show any emotion towards. I can’t do that”
>I understand. Look, I'm sorry, it's just not a way of thinking I'm used to
“It's okay”

You take a step forwards and wrap your arms around her. Tightly. It was. Feeling, no a sensation you had really missed. You remembered it exactly. For the first few seconds she tensed up, and was ready to fight back if she had to. And then she softened up, relaxed. Like she almost melted into you

“It's late. Let's get some sleep and we will figure this out tomorrow. Promise?”
>I swear
“Right. Sleeping arrangements for tonight?”
>You have your own room. It's not big or anything, but there's a mattress and something to eat
“Thank you”
The rest of the walk is silent. Lily held you close as you walked north towards the base they had made. Unsurprisingly, she created a little distance between you as the big gates came into view. The guards standing there immediately let her in. You couldn't see much of the base itself, but she seemed to know exactly where she was going. A big hall, then a corridor and up a flight of stairs. Finally, what was now going to be your room.

It had two mattresses on top of each other, a pillow and a thick wool blanket. There was also an electric radiator and some canned food.

>This is what i can do for you now

You look out over the little room

“Beats the couch i suppose”
>hey…

You turn to her, put your hands around her waist and reel her in until her face rests on your collar bone

“We can get all this stuff in order, alright?”
>Yes. I’ll sort this out. We will sort it out. Oh, and before i forget…

Lily takes a step back and slips a little phone out of her pocket. It’s a very simple flip phone, one of those with really large buttons made for old people. What it lacked in sophistication, it made up with ruggedness

>I don’t like not being able to get ahold of you
“Thanks. I’ll keep it close”
>Good night. I’ll see you tomorrow. About 8?
“Okay. Goodnight, Lily”

For the first time in a while, there is a hint of a smile on her lips. They could be so pretty if she just smiled a little. You made a mental note to make her try to do that as soon as you were alone. After that, you lock the door, get most clothes off and fall down on the “bed”. It’s past 2 am, giving you a comfortable 5.5 hours of sleep
~ ~ ~

An hour earlier, and a hundred miles east, in Salt Lake City, Miranda lay awake in the Starship. She had been on the phone for an hour, and not said one of the hundred things she had wanted to say. Instead Miranda had been taught a lot of things that were easier to ask about. Controlling the tank, positions, maintenance and a lot of shit Miranda knew already. Once again, she didn’t dare, ask. Chickened out, acted like a coward. Once again she would fall asleep alone. Next time, she told herself. Next time for sure. She had told herself that several times. Natalya was in reach. Next time for sure…

~ ~ ~

You’re woken up from an uneasy sleep by banging on the door. The M14 that you have had huddled up close during the night was immediately chambered and pointed towards the door

>Nono! Easy there, It’s me!
“Fucking hell…”

You flip the safety back into the “no pew” position and set the gun down

“Alone?”
>Yes. Time to get up, i have an idea
“Here we go…”

You do the shortest morning routine in human history, consisting of rubbing your eyes and putting the shoes back on. After that, Lily greets you outside

>It seems i have inspired quite the work morale. The engine has been running for 4 hours of test already and the engineers are making mounts and testing cooling systems
“Four hours…? It’s not even 8”
>As i said. I have a knack for putting people to work
“That also makes me wonder, what am i doing here?”
>Well, they will do what they can without you for now. 
“So, you don’t need me here?”
>Hmm, we could go for a picnic instead

And then she smiles. It wasn’t an “I’m happy” smile. It was a mischievous grin.

>Fact is, i’m in charge of everything there, and now you’re on security detail
“Uhh…?”
>You’re too tired to joke with
“Yes”
>Just follow me then.
She led you through the garages: It was a place absolutely buzzing with life. A few people sat by a corner eating a breakfast and playing cards. But most stood like flies around a sugarcube. Or in this case, a 200 ton sugarcube. The Maus. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that much larger than the Jagdtiger, albeit two feet higher. It did however glow with some indescribable force. Like an aura, filling the entire room around it. It was painted in green, dark yellow and medium brown in a disruptive pattern. Maybe it was a little bit optimistic to try to conceal something that size, or maybe it really needed it?

>Yeah, that thing is pretty amazing. Same gun as mine has, with a coaxial autocannon taken from a downed 130 something gunship, just in case, you know?
“Yeah, exactly…”

Onwards from the three steel leviathans stood a G-wagen. But this one was different from the posh, black ones. This one was dull grey and had dried mud up to the windows. Different wheels, panels. All in all, it looked more fulda gap than beverly hills

>I have everything packed!

Lily went around the back of the big off-roader, proudly displaying what she brought for the picnic

“Okay, this this is the point where i start to question things”
>Why?
“What do you mean why!? Lily, that’s a chainsaw and what appears to be two pipe bombs”

And then, and the mention of pipe bombs, Lily’s eyes start to absolutely glow.

>These, beloved Anon, are not pipe bombs. This is something much better
“Good job, that was genuinely frightening”
>Don’t be sour. Jump in, i’ll drive

The door slams shut behind you and Lily heads out of the compound
“So… what are we doing?”
>This morning, a group of Grenadiers found and killed two class 3s 
“Am i supposed to find that impressive?”
>No, you’re supposed to listen. They were killed with Anti-tank rifles rather than rocket launchers. Meaning they are relatively intact. Perfect for our experiment
“About that, is that where your pipe bombs come in?”
>They are not bombs

Just ten minutes later, the big Mercedes slows to a halt next to two carcases. And as Lily said, they were relatively intact, except the head, which had been the target for some big caliber rifle fire

Lily gets out to look at them

>Dear, can you get the chainsaw?
“Please never say that again”

But you did take the chainsaw and walk out to her
>How much do you know about these things?
“I don’t like them very much. And i know where to aim”
>Precisely. Which is enough for most. But for me, this is a much more interesting adversary than the US Army. And air force
“Interesting?”

You stared at the lifeless carcass in front of you

>Oh yes! Thing is, we know surprisingly little about these. The skin… is some layer cake like a modern tank. Which is bad for us
“Why?”
>Partly it means sabot rounds doesn't actually damage it that much. It also means it’s fire resistant
“Well, yes. Everyone knows you can’t set fire to them”

Lily turns around and looks into you with fiery eyes

>That means no one has tried hard enough. This…

Lily held up the pipe bomb in front of her as if it was the most precious thing in the world. Or maybe she just treated it very gently

>....my love, is a sealed and pressurized steel container. And inside, it is filled with what is possibly the most vile substance know to humanity
“I’m a little bit scared. What’s the thing inside called?
>I’m not sure about the english name of the elements, but it’s one one “chlor”, atom number 17 and three “fluor”, atom number 9
“That doesn’t sound too dangerous”
Lily looked at you in disbelief

>This is a material that was considered too dangerous to use in artillery shells and flamethrowers. By the wehrmacht
“What”
>Yes. We called it “N-stoff” Means “Material N” or “Substance N”, along those lines.
“Sounds a little bland”
>Yes, but the substance itself is the more exciting. Not only does it boil at 12 degrees centigrade, when it forms extremely toxic vapors, but it will also set fire to things like stone, asbestos and glass
“What…”
>Yes, i know what you want to say. Something like those things doesn't burn? Just like this sub-species we are now fighting. Or that is what people think
“Because they haven’t tried hard enough…”
>Exactly! So i want to test the N-stoff on these things. One on the armor, and inside

She nods at the chainsaw

“Inside?”
>Yes. If it proves effective, i could stuff a lot of this into a shell
“Ammunition”
>Yes. But first we have to test it, right? So i’d like you to cut one of them up so i can place the substance in it, and leave the second on top of the other creature. Hence the chainsaw. Please?

Some shades had to fulfill the role of safety goggles today. It felt pretty tough to yank the chainsaw while pulling the starter cord a few times before the tiny engine got satisfied with the speed and started spinning on its own.

As expected when cutting up a recently dead being with a chainsaw, things got somewhat messy. The hard outer shell gave way for what just appeared to be a soft sludge on the inside. There was still liquid in it, these things also had what resembled human blood. But they had a lot more redundant that what humans did.

When half of the “blood” had spilled on the ground and the other half seemed to stick to your clothes, the chainsaw fell silent. There was a large cut in the side of the creature, about a feet in length and at least 8 inches deep

>Thank you!
The chainsaw barely had time to fall silent before Lily walked up to the brutalized carcass. Carefully, she slid the container with N-stoff deep into the wound. She had already placed the second on top of the other dead creature

>Now, this is exceedingly poisonous, so I suggest we get some distance. 
“Let's go”

A while later, Lily had found a suitable roof top a few hundred feet away. She seemed excited beyond words

>I should tell you, standard procedure is having a gas mask when dealing with this, but we are upwind, so we are going to be fine
“I'm still not sure about this…”
>I might not have earned your trust back yet, but while age doesn't get me, fire and poison gas will. And I'm not wearing a mask
“Alright”
>And now… 

Lily fine put is some last settings on the large camera she had brought up to the rooftop

>We usually use this for PR stuff, or as we used to call it, propaganda. But it will serve for research purposes today
“What research?”
>Two questions: firstly, whether or not substance-N effective against these underdeveloped vermin. Second: if Substance-N proves to be effective, should be applied directly to the armor, or released within, via a semi armor piercing shell for instance
“Did I hear genuine curiosity in there? Because didn't sound like just someone who learns how to defeat her enemies”

Lily took a little detonator up from her pocket with a spiteful grin

>I never claimed to have an halo
She returned to the camera and pushed the red button. Her calm voice started with the date and what the test was. She had kindly given you a pair of binoculars so you also could see what this substance was capable of. First, she would make the test on external application of it.

A second after she pressed the button the pressurized liquid was exposed to the outside atmosphere.

And then it did what it always was supposed to do. It started a flame with an intensity that was beyond anything you had seen before. It wasn't crackling like a campfire was, or roaring like a bonfire. It was absolutely screaming. Long after all the substance had burned away the creature kept burning. Straight through the outer armor plate and into the soft insides.

But the fire didn't calm down. It kept screaming, shouting and radiating hatred.
It had a ferocity and an intensity that was unlike anything, living or dead. It kept burning, but only for a few minutes until the creature had been completely consumed by fire. Even the bones were charred black and almost falling apart. This was hell brought to earth

>First test deemed successful. Now for internal application

Lily pressed another button. Three feet flames erupted, screaming out from the wound. The fire had a slightly different color from last time. Less deep red and more of a pale orange. The camera caught of the inferno, consuming the entire creature, the size of a horse, in under a minute. It was swift, brutal and absolutely terrifying

>F-final test successful. Far beyond any expectations

The camera clicks and goes silent. Lily immediately brings up a little notebook from a bag and scribbles down some notes

“What kind of unholy hell have you brought to earth…”

But Lily didn’t answer. She just laughed

=============

In two hours you had driven between between the base and the experiment site another time. To get a chemist and Irma there. One to take samples and one to be convinced it was actually a good idea. They bad been brought back and shown the tape.
He had watched it over a few times, but still claimed he wasn't sure if it was the same explosion-like fire, the heat, the hydrofluoric poison gas, the molten or burning metal or the buildup of caustic, hydrochloric acid that would kill someone first.

Worse than that, Lily didn't break her smile one time during the full explanation. Irma looked genuinely uncomfortable next to the attentive, radiant and almost energetic Lily.

She left the room almost walking on clouds

“Before anything else, I have to get cleaned up”

You were still covered in the goo from cutting the creature up. She looks at you as if she just realized that.

>Oh. Uhh… the common showers won't have warm water right now, but-

She looks around a little

>Mine does. Come along

Her room, or rooms rather were in the far and quiet corner of the complex. A gigantic bed, a big desk and more luxuries than just about anyone else had.

“Wow, these guys sure aren't sparing any expenses for you”
>they are blowing it out of proportion 
“As if you are complaining”

She exhales heavily

>I really don't, no. You can use the common showers if you want that
“I'll pass”

Well out of the first proper, warm shower you had had in much too long time, Lily was finishing up a meal. Nothing fancy, but it beat MREs and eating things straight from tin cans.

She had both plates on the table just about as you finally got your socks on. It was March after all.

As soon as you've lifted the fork to your mouth a thought hits you. Unfortunately, no one can look especially clever with pasta dangling out of their mouth. Lily smirked, finding the whole thing a little funny.

“How many times have we done this?”
You managed to say, after swallowing a considerable amount of spaghetti with red sauce

>What do you mean? 
“I mean just the two of us, having an actual mean, at a table and not having to rush anywhere. Have we done that even five times?”
>I know one for sure
“Oh yes, I remember that. I also remember to keep you away from white wine”
>Come on! It was hardly that bad
“You passed out. And I had to lift and carry you back to-”
>I'm sure you hated carrying poor, vulnerable Lily to a safe place~
“You're just hopeless…”
>Oh you love me

And with just those four words Lily managed to create an awkward atmosphere as stale as her training manual. It was in fact so awkward it completely killed any talk for the next minute. Finally, you tried to solve it

“Don't worry, Lily”

She looked a little hurt

“Augh. Do we have to do anything right now?”
>Now? No. 
“Good. Because I'm a little tired, and that couch of yours looks pretty soft”
>Please, go ahead. I could use some rest as well

And so you did, ignoring any unwashed plates and cleaning up, to thump down on the couch. It was a very soft couch, almost as good as your own bed. Your shoes were untied anyway, and you push them off, letting them fall to the floor.

Across the room, Lily falls down in her 6 feet wide bed. The poor thing probably needed a bit of rest after this morning's discovery, and in your own head, an hour or two of rest as as much for her benefit as it was for yours

Just ten minutes later there is movement from the bed. Lily had wrapped herself in the blanket. And then she left the bed and headed over to the couch. She looked at you, wanted to say something. But there were no words. You should understand what she meant

You shuffle a little to the backrest, but the couch isn’t that big

“Afraid i can’t move much”
yourself tugging her a little closer, holding her tight to you. It was that wonderful feeling of a familiar past. But one thing was different. So different you had to take it in a little bit more. Just easily sniffing through your nose, to get that scent in a little

>What? What is it?
“Your hair smells different”
>It smells of racial purity
“...”
>I can’t make jokes anymore?
“And here i was thinking you used a new soap”
>Everything is better than what the old base had
“I’m going to tell everyone you use strawberry scented shampoo”
>I’ll tie you down
“I don’t even know if that was a threat or an invitation”
>Pervert
“And yet you’re on my shoulder”
>Mhm…

It felt so good to have her back, to have her this close. The feeling was apparently mutual, as she fell asleep a few minutes later. And then you remembered again how she can suddenly change. She was iron and fire as long as she had her eyes open. But now, she looked much like any other woman in her early 20s. And she was drooling a little. All the cold hard stuff was out the window, and now she was just soft and warm. And even displayed some fragility about her.

Did she do this on purpose? If this was an act, it was very convincing, and just as enjoyable. Right now she was yours to keep safe.

But all good things must come to an end. An hour later you leave her room, after making sure no one saw you leaving it. A few minutes later you're standing face to face with the the engineer in charge of refitting the maus with the new engine. He didn't seem very happy
‘There is not a single electrical component on it. How you managed mechanically actuated variable valve timing is impressive, especially since it's a two stroke, which shouldn't have normal valves, or even a camshaft, even less 8 of the damn things. It's a complete mess’
“You complain awfully much for someone who is given a free, gigantic engine”
‘My intention is not to complain, only to get into the head of the madman who did this. I will however say i find it impressive how they managed to fix the absolutely god-awful 4:1 compression ratio with six turbochargers that makes very, very close to triple digit boost pressure numbers. And the whole things weighs almost 6000 pounds’
“That was a lot of words. Does it work or not?”
‘It ran a few hours of dyno tests and performed flawlessly. I wish I had a week to study the damn thing, but that won't happen’
“Not from outside the tank, no. How is the drivetrain working anyway?”

The man actually smiled, he was probably a bit proud about what he had done

‘There is one very large generator coupled to the crankshafts via a coupling device and an hydraulic clutch on the back of the engine. This will charge about two tonnes of lithium-ion batteries that will power two electric motors to the front drive sprockets’
“Power?”
‘The electric motors are probably capable of 1500-1700 horsepower each, but we will be careful at first’
“Sounds good. Gun works?”
‘It performed spectacularly well. It is capable of-’
“I know, it’s the same as on that one”

You point at the Jagdtiger

“And i’ve seen what that thing can do first hand”

The man narrowed his eyes

‘Oh have you?’
“Yes. It split a class 4 in half once, actually”
‘Split…’
“Yes. If you hit them high up, about one fifth down to one fourth from the top of their back you will hit what resemblance a spine and with a two pound bursting charge, might split it in half”
‘How do you kn-’
He was interrupted by the arrival of someone who caught the attention of everyone in the room. Lily

>Is the work progressing as expected? 
‘Miss Nibelung. The electric motors are in place, as is the batteries and most of the wiring. Mounts for the engine and generator remains, as does the last two radiators and final assembly’
>Time
‘We work around the clock, I expect we will be finished… before lunch tomorrow’
>You should need no further motivation than the knowledge there might be a nigh world-ending event in two days
‘No, absolutely not. We will get it fixed’
>Good. Do your work and we will get along. Don't and people get hurt
‘Understood’
>Good. Keep working

She turns to you for a swift second and gives you the smallest smile imaginable. Something no one would have seen unless someone had stared at the corner of her mouth for that split second, or knew how she smiled. You saw it, no one else did. Just as she intended.

~ ~ ~

Miranda's P-47D screams out of the clouds at way over 400 miles per hour. All 18 cylinders were turning fuel into fire with the sole purpose of further accelerating all 11000 pounds of fighter-bomber to the unfortunate hun below. As a bird of prey gripping its claws around a helpless victim, all eight caliber 50 machine guns opened up at a range of about 400 yards. But at this speed, it's only enough for a three second burst. After sending away three pounds of armor piercing incendiary tracer rounds on its target, the heavy Thunderbolt points the nose skywards again to regain the lost altitude.

Miranda smiles as she downs the third 109 in just fifteen minutes of gameplay. The game proudly declares that the mission has been a success, and the falaise gap is now a little narrower.

She puts the controller away, stows the blanket and pillow in a place usually reserved for a 152mm HE shell and peeks out of the commanders hatch. No one seemed very interested. In anything
Which suited her perfectly. A battle was to be fought. She would probably die. And if she didn't…

She thought about it. Again. Her M60A2 was one of the most heavily armored vehicles the Old Guard possessed. Sure there was the Conqueror and the M103, and the moving wall that was the T28. The Jagdtiger was gone, so was the T30. The M60s were a lot tougher than either the Shermans or especially the Sheridans.

She would have to be in front. And she would probably die.

Natalya, on the other side of the Salt flat sat on what was possibly the most powerful tank anywhere in the world right now. It would definitely be in the first line of defence

Miranda figured the chances both would survive was almost nonexistent. So there was no real point in worrying about it. He did consider running away. But Natalya would never respect her if she did that. So she would fight for everything she was worth. And probably die. So there wasn't much point in it anymore. Didn't matter her hair was a mess, didn't matter her clothes were a mess. No one she cared about would care

‘Hey!’

Miranda reacted like a startled rabbit and reached for her gun. She didn’t have time to start the engine and turn around the turret or reach for the big MG. Instead, she reached for her CX4. Sadly, the carbines’ rather prominent front sight caught the inside of the commander’s hatch. The gun jerked out of her hands and the buttstock slams into her upper lip

+ Oww!

Miranda’s cup had many drops of water dropped into it. Her never-ending insecurity about herself and the vehicle. What she had lost. The things she had seen the last years, and most recently (and to her, most importantly) she might actually have gotten close to someone. And was now facing an overwhelming risk that that was a dead end as well. The cup was in fact almost full. And then she got a mouthful of rifle stock. A rifle which she afterwards dropped, hitting the turret basket with an awful metallic noise
‘Hey, i’m not here to hurt you or anything!’

The cup didn’t overfill this time, but it was close, Miranda still didn’t look very happy. She looked down upon a… girl. Definitely not a woman. Late teens maybe? She looked really very unremarkable, apart from the golden blonde hair.

‘Do you remember me?’
+ Uhh…
‘Come on, we met in the woods a few months ago?”
+ I don’t go to the woods

The girl sighs

‘Ya know, the imposter?’
+ With the Panzer IV? You pretended to be a caretaker
‘Yes, it wa-’
+ Why? Why did you pretend?
‘Admiration i guess?’
+ You don’t think we’re… you know?
‘Pretty amazing? Giving the rest of us hope? Doing what other cannot in our darkest days? If i did a tenth as much as you guys did, i can die happy’

Miranda couldn’t answer that. She had absolutely no idea what to say

‘So i did what i could do. Mimicked. I got myself an old tank and went for it’
+ Oh. Uhh…

Miranda didn’t actually have much of an opinion about this. Lily got furious, but that might as well have been because she thought it was a friend. Miranda actually felt a little flattered

+ Guess i don’t have anything against you. I’m Miranda
‘Miranda, it’s an honor to meet you. My name is Ingrid’
+ That sounds foreign

Ingrid said something in a language unknown to Miranda

‘I came here because the country i left… had little left to fight for. Few-’
+ It’s okay. So what are you doing here?
‘Two topics on my agenda. First of all, i’d like to help. The tank is all patched up, with a few upgrades. And a crew’
+ Always happy for an extra gun. Check with… uhh. Augh, i’m bad with names. Marcus? Mark? I’m not sure. Anyway, he sits in the office and looks scary. But he will be happy to have you on board
‘Thanks. Secondly, i need to have a talk with someone whose name i don’t know. I ran in with her a few months back. Commanding or is otherwise associated with a Jagdtiger’
+ Not here. She’s elsewhere
‘Where?’
+ She'd be upset if I said where. It's like our own special forces
Miranda sighs. That place was also where most of her actual friends were. And Natalya. Even if that was more a crush than anything else.

+ It's kinda pointless to try and get there. It's two separate groups, and they are both kinda elitist and shut in
‘Thank you very much. Can I repay you in any way?’
+ Do you have any food that isn't field rations and MREs? Canned peaches specially
‘Maybe not peaches specifically, but some fruit’
+ Bring it here and something for yourself if you want it. The food hall always becomes a mess
‘Many thanks’

Ingrid walks away. Miranda crawls back into her tank. Opens up her phone, writes up a message, picks Lily as a recipient and… hesitates. She looks at the message a few times. It’s short, on point. Just like Lily liked it. But Miranda decided not to send it. This new person just trundled into the base was. The message wasn’t sent right away.

Instead she got her VR goggles back on and returned to attacking german fighter-bombers. Turns out the on-board computer could do a lot more than laying the gun and identifying things.

~ ~ ~

Six hours later you sit by the dinner opposite to Lily, a chequered board between you. She lifts one of her pieces, a red one and taps it on the board a few times. It follows a diagonal pattern, skipping over four of your back pieces. She giggles a little as she picks up those for pieces and puts them next to the board together with a lot of your pieces and about three of hers.
“This was a stupid idea”
>Hehe. That’s three for me zero for you~
“Yeah yeah, you’ve been playing this since 1936 as opposed to 36 minutes for me”
>Awww, don’t be like that, you will get better
“And you won’t miss a single opportunity to rub it in my face”
>No point for me to be modest
“No, you really don’t do modesty very well”
>Maybe not, but-
Lily is interrupted by her phone making a racket. Very few her number and all that did were encouraged not to call unless there was an emergency or something else important. So she took it up and looked at the message

“You’re smiling”
>yyeah…
“And it’s not even a grin, or even a smug kind of smile”
>No. No it isn’t. Let’s get some sleep 

You stand up at look at this Lily radiating a warm happiness, ever so pretty

“Good night, Lily”
>Nope, try again. door is locked and remains so until i unlock it. I have a spare toothbrush you can borrow. Just don’t get any ideas yet, i meant sleep when i said that

Now, she was really back. A smile dawns on your lips. She was really back


======================


Lily was there the next morning as well. Still asleep, while you were woken up by some engine running. The garages? The maus? Probably. But that world was so far away right now. The world right now consisted of a bed and and the warm sleeping, drooling thing on your right arm. You wanted to keep her safe, much because her (figurative) iron skinned nature was gone was all blown away when she fell asleep. It felt nice. Probably did for her as well.

You shift your hand up to her back, which pushes her even more into you. And it got ever better when her right leg curled up and ended up on top of you. Smiling like an idiot, you decided this was the best morning you've had this entire year.

Almost subconsciously, your other arm reaches over to her head. Whatever she used in her hair, racial purity of strawberry shampoo, worked wonders. It was soft, and silky. Sure, it turned into a mess as soon as the humidity went up. Which it had a tendency to do in an enclosed space with lots of people in it. Like an armored fighting vehicle for instance. But right now, it felt just right.

>You’re enjoying this way too much...

She said that in in a very sleepy voice. Far sleepier than what she allowed people to hear.

“There was no way i was not going to enjoy this”
>That’s why i can’t move?

Taking a figurative step backwards, you realize you are holding her quite firmly

“Yep”
>Mhm…
“What was that on the phone yesterday?”
>Something you should take care about. But… something i can’t leave to you
“Why not?”
>Because it is putting words in your mouth and preparing things. I’m still not sure if you still want it, so i do all i can. And if our goals are differently aligned, just say so
“You’re trying to be honest and play the cards close to your chest at the same time”
>I said i was going to be more honest…
“You’re stumbling with this, which is pretty cute”
>I’ll just keep quiet the next time, then
“Or you could just tell me what you want to say”
>Afraid i can’t. That conversation is me asking a question. And if you say something i don’t want to hear, or hesitate… I don’t want that to happen. So i will make sure you say what i want to say

What an absurd thing to say

“Lily, this may be our second to last morning still breathing. And god knows where today will take us. So just tell me? As your...whatever i am to you now”

Her grip tightens a little

>That is sort of where i was going with this. If we are back to the point to where we were before my…
“Deviance”
>Yes, my deviance. If you still want to get me out of what i am stuck in
“I can always get you o-”
>Nooo. This is what i meant. This is going to take a lot, and i mean a LOT of commitment, patience and time from the person who does this
“The person…”
>Please don't do that. I want it to be you. And as my mind is now, there isn't going to be someone else. But the mind has a tendency to deteriorate when shut in the same box for decades
“I'll try my best not to die”

She tenses up and tightens her grip she had around your wrist

>Don't joke about such things… 
“Okay. Sorry”

Soon after you get out of bed, was up and get dressed. Lily was a little slower, or maybe she stayed because she wanted breakfast made for her. You can actually make pancakes for the first time in way too long. Over breakfast Lily explains who the caller was. Miranda. But she spoke of the girl you found in the woods, masquerading as a caretaker for the panzer IV. Not only her administration, but her knowledge of them came from a much closer place than Lily could have guessed. A direct blood related descendant from someone that had broken her bond with the steel.

Lily just might learn something from that to help her own situation. Forgive her for being an imposter? Maybe.
Lily ends breakfast with tapping away on her phone and making a few calls. She has gotten frighteningly fast at typing, and it seemed like her thumbs danced across the screen. Maybe it was a skill that fell naturally to a young woman.

>Okay, now I've set this ball rolling. I should get a damn medal for this
“Ball?”
>Oh yes. Ever heard the term killing two birds with one stone? 
“Yep”
>I'm using figurative high explosive rounds. And kill a lot of birds
“Okay… I'm not really following.
>Reinforcements, dear. Regarding specifically our new friend, and an old one,Miranda
“I’m guessing that's not for the guns”
>No, the girl will help us with… us in generally and me specifically. Miranda is not only lovesick, but also has nuclear weapons. I don't think I need to explain why that can end in tears
“Shit, yeah”
>But for now, mein liebling, I'd like you to help the engineers with the Maus. I have something a little more pressing to take care about
“Don't need my help?”
>I'm afraid this is something I have to do on my own. I can't guarantee everything will be handled in a way you would be sympathetic to. 

She lowered her head and swallowed hard

>Now I was honest and it didn't sound good at all
“Does whatever you are doing have to be handled in such a way?”
>Yes. It's very important I don't show any signs of weakness. And it's not only for my own sake, it's to make this place runactually work
“You really are made of steel. Are you sure the Jagdtiger is not rubbing off on you?”
>Tsssk. I’ll speak to you later

~ ~ ~

+ Yes!

Helen looked a little surprised. Especially since being sent to a smaller, less defended and more distant city was a lot more dangerous. And Miranda was never the one who wanted to be in front

‘You seem strangely cheerful’
+ Ah, n-no. Just want to help, you know…

Helen knew exactly why the little one wanted to go. But this wasn't information she had to share
‘Good to see you have high spirits. Five tanks in total, leaving an hour. Make sure you’re ready’
+ Yes!

Miranda walks away. No, not walks. Skips. A change of character not unlike telling a mourning mother her son has actually not fallen, but is just wounded. It gave her hope

She skips and runs back to her vehicle. Checks everything for transport almost dancing around it. Smiling, giggling with an energy she probably had not have ever before. The rest of the crew was beyond bewildered to see this spectacle. The only time Miranda moved faster than a teenager that had been woken up a few hours too early was when she was running away from something

‘Hey!’
+ Yeahwhat?
‘You're going too?’
+ Yes!
‘Thank you very much for calling Lily and arranging all this. I have to set things right with her’
+ Ah, about that…

Mirandas tone goes from cheerful to serious. But she remembers her training! Straighten out the back, feet together, arms along the sid-

‘what are you doing?’
+ N-nothing just standing up right it's really nothing
‘Uhh…’
+ Anyway! You did trick Lily once. If you are lying about the whole grand-grandma is a caretaker, she is going to be very angry
‘She's quite the tough one…’
+ She seems so, which is probably what she wants. But she treats her friends with respect
‘Imagine that, a Nibelung treating me with respect’

Ingrid went back to her tank, and just like Miranda, smiled while she prepared it for the transport

~ ~ ~

>[It's about time we had a proper talk]
‘[I would hope so. Your insolence is getting on my nerves]’

Lily takes a deep breath. It was very important she remained authoritative
>[Gudrun. I want to make sure we understand each other. I am in charge here. By virtue of experience, and not by having an influential father] 
‘[Your name and word only means something because it was given to you].
>[Given to me, yes. Because i had outsmarted, defeated or got rid of the competition. And then proved myself. I was the gunner for the top scoring tank crew from the second i set foot in the jagdtiger until the end of the war]
‘[Don’t flatter yourself. Performance is one thing, but you got there by cheating, lying, killing and fucking your way to the top]’
>[I can lie, cheat and kill very well. And speaking of the latter, how was your time in the Soviet union?]

Lily’s words carried a brutal, yet expected response

>[Rumor was you could melt into, disappear into the metal. Since we both know that doesn't work, my guess is after a few years of being continuously fucked up, someone felt sorry for you. You got saved by a communist]

And thus, Lily delivered her haymaker

>[Now that we know who you are, it’s time i inform you who i am. I am the one person in the world you should be friendly with. You live because i either need you or want it. You get in the tank with my permission and my permission alone. You tell people who you are with my permission and that alone]

Gudrun was slowly turning into a wreck. Her attempt at replying was immediately met with Lily raising her voice

>[SHUSH! Apologize. Immediately]
‘Wa-’

Lily’s hand is swift, far too fast for Gudrun to see it. It hits her cheek with a satisfying slap. She lowers her head to Gudrun’s level and speaks very slowly

>[Apologize]
‘[I’m sorry]’

Lily sighs heavily and takes a step backwards. On the table next to her lies a pair of perfectly fitted leather gloves. They have been used and very well taken care of since 1942. Lily Takes her time putting them on and doing up the little button on the back. The effect was immediate and the younger girl retreated back in the room in fear

Lily knew exactly what kind of person she was dealing with. Someone who is once used to violence will always react the same way. Use fear. Because the wait for the hit is much worse that the impact itself is. She could hurt her. But at this point it wouldn’t do much good. They had both understood the roles here. Lily was now firmly in control of the situation. Walls completely broken, and at this point, they could be rebuilt again. Thus came the time for a soft touch and a kind voice

>[You can do better]
‘[My sincerest apologies for interrupting you]’

>[Very good. I hope i could help you to get rid of those silly ideas you had. You are an incredible asset, but you are yet inexperienced. I fear all what you are will be wasted unless you do things right. I have the experience to make it so. Do you understand me?]
‘[I do]’

Lily smiled. Partly so Gudrun could see and feel some warmth. And partly because how easy this had been. Back during her training, getting someone to completely wrapped around her finger like this could take months. Then again, this was never going to be a fair fight

>[Good. Keep reading, Gudrun, Your tank should be ready for trials this afternoon. i want you well rested by then]
Lily left the room and locked it with a key which usually kept on a chain. Inside her shirt. She was rather satisfied having gone through all of that and only hitting Gudrun once. She had been raised and was used to a firm hand and a sore cheek, so Lily didn’t have to teach her that

~ ~ ~

A mile or two east, Natalya sat alone in a room with her radio set. She had put up a large antenna on the roof the day prior, anything to help her get some information. Many of the channels the military used were encrypted and Natalya couldn't do any decrypting other than that with pen and paper. However, a lot of radio talk was done on non-encrypted channels. Besides, if anyone knew when they were going to land, it would hardly remain secret long.

Just like many times before, Natalya slowly scans through the frequencies. The radio was old, but very high quality. The big rotary wheel has some weight behind it, which also made it very precise. As soon as she finds something, she stop, listens to a few minutes and writes the frequency down

The amount of doom-preachers, Jesus people and other assorted nutters had gone up significantly the last few months. She did feel a little rush from proving all these people wrong and laughing at them. Especially using lots of heavy weapons, something these people didn't like. “Lay down your arms and accept peace” they said.

Natalya reasoned peace was pummeling the opposition until they were no longer capable of fighting. Which would be especially enjoyable since she now had the IS-7 beneath her. Heavier than an Abrams, frontal armor comparable to the maus and speed surpassing a T-54. What an amazing machine.
Yet another channel, right now playing industrial metal, was ticked off. Another two hours goes by as Natalya combs through any radio transmissions, finding nothing interesting.

But as soon as she is about to start looking at short wave transmissions, an engine tone she didn’t recognize makes itself present outside.

Well outside, she is greeted by five large trucks. Four of them carrying tanks, and a fifth, a semi carrying an ungodly amount of fuel along with an extra trailer, probably with spare parts and other supplies. Natalya knew they were coming, but they were faster than she had expected. The whole convoy was quickly led south, to get some distance away from both the german and the russian camps. Seeing the third tank on one of the trucks, she sends a message to Lily. Last time someone showed up in a panzer IV, she was very nearly killed.

Natalys met up with the Austrian half an hour later. Both dressed in civilian clothing and hiding as much of their features as possible with scarfs and beanies. Might not have looked pretty, but it worked.

The air between them was, to Natalya’s great pleasure, not chilled. While their friends had differing ideologies, they got along well. It was easy to talk to Lily, probably since they had been fighting together, had relied on each other. Professional courtesy and respect probably played in as well.

They stood calmly by a building and watched the big group of people getting the tanks off the trucks. Three M4s, the Panzer IV and the Starship

¤ Listen to the Panzer. The engine note
>Not original. I can’t even tell what it is
¤ Gun?
>Also new. Slightly longer. Tracks are new as well. But i won’t be too aggressive, your date put in a good word for imposter
¤ Excuse me?
>Maybe you are her date then?
¤ Lily!
>You should have seen her when you were out. She even used her own legs to make sure you had a pillow
Natalya already had an idea what the little one felt for her. And she did not intend on letting Lily know about their little rendezvous.

¤ I’ve never heard of anything like this before
>Caretaker falling for-
¤ Yes, not only another caretaker. But one of… how do i put this. Major ideological differences
>Isn’t that a thing americans are taught as they get older? Besides, we get along well
¤ She might look and act like a little girl, but there is no way she has not been taught to hate reds
>And yet~
¤ Ach, Lily. Do you enjoy watching me struggle?
>Not as much as i like watching Miranda do it
¤ You cruel, cruel thing
>If you only knew what i did this morning
¤ I don’t even want to know
>Gathering allies, Natalya! Granted, inexperienced girls are easier to manipulate, and not as valuable of an ally as you are
¤ Is Lily Nibelung actually being flattering?

Lily scoffs a little

>I’m being honest. A thing i have started being recently
¤ Probably a good step to get your man back
>Yes. But for now, we have a few things to attend to. I need to have a word with this imposter. You should speak to Miranda. And you should try change your tone into something really soft halfway through
¤ You and your games…

Natalya sighs as Lily walks off into the forming camp. The Austrian makes her way around the trucks, arriving at the crew trying to unload the Panzer. The dirty blonde imposter, one guy that was built as a brick house but significantly shorter than Lily, two rather unremarkable guys, one with the single most pathetic attempt at a mustache ever, and a girl bordering fat. this was the crew

Lily watches as they slowly unload the whole thing and park it just outside the camp with the gun facing down a street. She watches a little too closely, getting the attention of the imposter. She notices, and goes down to confront Lily
‘What do you want?’

Lily pulls her hat off and the other girl immediately recognizes her

>Just want to talk. Come, don’t worry.

Ingrid was worried. After a short exchange of pleasantries, Lily starts inquiring about the tank itself

>Now, i couldn’t help but notice the engine note. A new engine?
‘Y-yes. The modular many use, b-but the engine we couldn’t fit the inline 6, so we use a 5 cylinder now
>I was actually unaware of such an engine even existing. But worry not, i’m not enough of a purist to prefer a stock engine to one that works. American 76mm gun?
‘Yes…’
>Good. Ammunition must be plentiful, if you use that sort of round. Anyway, now that i am assured you take care of the tank, we have something far more important to discuss. Do you need to prepare anything with your crew first?
‘No, it’s fine’
>Wonderful. Come with me, because we have a lot to talk about


===============

>Come, sit down

Lily had invited Ingrid along to the base, keeping up a rather intimidating aura along the way. Ingrid was terrified, and sat down without fuss. Lily sat down at the chair opposite with a little table between them

>Anything to drink?
‘N-no, it’s fine’
>We have tea, cola. Chocolate even
‘Ahh, uhh..’
>I know what those eyes want

Lily leaves her seat and retrieves two bottles of Cola and puts them on the table. Ingrid had clearly not had any of this for quite some time. Instead of sharing, Lily draws her pistol, releases the magazine, uses it for a bottle opener for only one of the bottles, inserts the magazine again and puts the gun away.

Ingrid’s pulse was now through the ceiling, which also had the side effect of making her mouth completely dry. Even more so from watching Lily devour the sugary drink.

>I’ll be honest. two days ago i would not so much as considered to speak to you. But three things have happened since. Firstly, someone close to me, a friend, put in a good word for you. Secondly, i saw you are actually capable of taking care of a tank. But most importantly, you might know something i don’t.
‘That’s no problem, what do you want to know?’
>All of it. But you just have to tell me what you know

Lily opens the second bottle in front of her with the one she was already holding. A neat trick she once learned

>Talk

And Ingrid talked. About a hide and seek game ten years ago, a big chest in the attic, about papers never intended to be found again. About curiosity, about the strive, the search for answers. What did her great grandmother do during the war? She was French. Lived in Paris as grey panzers rolled in over the border. About fleeing. Then she said she spent the rest of her life in the US, and met a returning soldier she wed one year after VE day.
But the papers told another story. The papers hinted many things. Unexplainable to Ingrid at first. Researching something everyone denied was very hard at first. But tenacity and a few cheap tricks led to results. Her story went on and on. Lily listened to every word. She could see Ingrid was telling the truth, and dismissed her with a smile in the afternoon. But something wasn’t right

The way it was told, Ingrid didn’t realize it, but it was instructions. There was no other reason to be so precise with the dates. Why would someone write up a rainy day just sitting inside and waiting, and mark that up with a date, sometimes even the time of day. But when her friends died, or when she met her future husband… nothing. It was instructions, but without actually saying anything. Decrypted by being obvious, hiding right in front of her.

Lily would have enjoyed this under normal conditions. She enjoyed a challenge. Enjoyed the heat of the fight, a mind game and the sweet taste of victory once it had been completed. But this was really the day before the apocalypse. Probably

She did what she always did. Wrote it down. She could look back at her notes to what she had written earlier and tell her own mood. Graphology, it was called. This were frustrated words. Maybe she would get back to the notes the day after tomorrow. Maybe not

~ ~ ~

¤ Repeat that, slowly

Natalya had listened to the radio for almost an hour now, and had only said very few words. Her hand moved graciously, delicately, and the letters she put on the paper were pieces of arts in themselves. Miranda thought that anyway. She was so into it she even got a little shocked when the notebook was handed to her

¤ Can you type in that address?
+ Yes!

Miranda clattered away on the keyboard and hit “Enter” with a dab of her pinky. She liked putting a little more force into that particular motion. Just a little.
They sat and enjoyed the limited warmth the slowly setting sun in late March could give them.

¤ Do you get anything?
+ It’s loading
¤ Okay

Natalya leaned back in the sun. So many thoughts flew through her head. Was sitting with a nervous teenager by a computer really the best thing to do the last afternoon you were breathing? She thought a little about it. It wasn’t much to her. But it was to the little teenager. Miranda was too nervous to take her eyes of the computer screen

+ Statement will come at 1700. About… uhh, 30 minutes
¤ Good work, Mriya. Good work. We can rest until then
+ Nnn…

Miranda squirms at what she is called. She had no idea what it meant, or if it was just a pet name. If it was a nickname, it was the first she had ever had. First good one, anyway.

Sadly, Miranda had no idea what anyone would do at that point. Natalya said rest. Did that mean here? Just lay down? Before she knew it, the little girl found herself between a strong arm and Natalya’s body. And her head was resting against…

¤ You're tense like a spring. Relax.

A hand moved over her shoulder. Feeling it, kneading it a little.

¤ you're supposed to relax in an embrace…
+ y-yea, sorry
¤ Shhh…

Miranda calmed down after a few minutes, and fell asleep shortly afterwards. Which left Natalya idly messing up the smaller girls hair. Not bad as far as idle activities go.
Next thing to do would be to inform her friends. She reaches for her phone only to feel it vibrating already. And what a number it was

¤ Yes?
‘Good afternoon Natalya’
¤ Fancy talking to you, Helen
‘Likewise’
¤ Didn't expect you to call, thought you would have your hands full
‘I did. I would also not discuss this this over the phone. Say, is there room for another cog in Wendovers clockwork?’
Helen was more or less in charge of the whole Salt Lake City thing. She would be up to her elbows in work until the guns started firing. She wouldn't leave to just travel 300 miles back and forth to inspect things. Natalya quickly came to the conclusion that something bad happened

¤ If you're here for dinner, at 8
‘You’re a godsend, Natalya. And do tell Lily if you can. I tried to reach out, but couldn't get through’
¤ Any time. See you soon

The list of things Natalya had to do before dusk grew longer. But it had to be done.

In fact, half of Wendover was alive with work. Fighting pits, making barricades, road blocks . As they worked into the night, there was a gathering of people in the only hotel lobby

“Looks like everyone is here?”

Nods and murmurs are heard from the room

“So, before we start, two things. First of all, have we excluded anyone? Someone that should be here?”

Notihng

“Okay, next to our… European friends”

Representatives from the german and the russian forces look over to you

“You’re free to do whatever you want, but i assume you will fight along with the rest of us if we plan this together. Okay?”

Both Lily and Natalya starts talking to their companions

>I see no issues with it. But then we require to have a voice in this as well
“Naturally”

You had to play along and act somewhat cool to Lily with everyone else here. She did an even better job than you did. Natalys speaks with her peers

¤ Our conditions are the same
“Very good. That means we have… Four medium tanks, four heavies, two tank destroyers, one super heavy and one MBT. That makes eleven in total. To that we have 15 trucks and SUVs and a few more cars that will do supply runs if necessary. There is about thirty heavy machine guns and about a hundred and fifty foot mobiles. Diesel is… in somewhat short supply, but that thanks to Lieutenant Kincade, we have an ungodly supply of .50. Probably close to a million rounds”
Helen stood leaned against a wall with a cigarette in her mouth. People looked upon her with gratitude for the first time in a long while

“Sadly, now comes the part where i admit i’m not very good at planning a large scale defence. Or competent at all. Which is why i’m happy to hand over this to anyone who has experience or training, preferably both, in this subject”

And the room went silent. 20 persons not saying a word. Five seconds. Ten. Fifteen

>Fuck it i can do it. If anyone objects, i’d like them to take this place instead

No answers

>Last chance
‘Fine by me’

Helen shrugged a little. Nods came from other places around the room. They knew on one level or another what Lily achieved outside that little French village in 1945.

>We are not that many, but we have a few things going for us. First of all, we have two new munitions. Firstly, i have mixed a special chemical in some shells, which i am fairly certain will set fire to them, from the inside
‘They don’t burn, not even napalm’ comments someone from the room
>N-stoff will set fire to stone, sand and steel. They will burn, trust me

Before anyone has time to react to that, Lily stands up from her seat and puts her hands on the table

>But more importantly, we have something bigger. Ladies and gentlemen, i can say something i’ve wanted to say since September 1945.

She left those words to linger in the room for a little while. Her eyes were burning, but only you could really see it. Glimmered.

>We have nukes
And that caused a stir. A murmur turned into voiced raised. Jaws were dropped, fists were shaken. Lily let it go for a few minutes before things started to fly

>Keyword in that sentence is WE. I don’t. We do. It’s two W82 warheads fired from a 15,2 centimeter gun. The starship specifically. And it will not, unless it is absolutely necessary be used. And besides, if we’re all going to die i’d like to see one in person. But this is not my decision, but ours. If anyone is against the use of these warheads, please make your voice heard now or remain silent

You fell more and more for Lily as she spoke to the rest. She was absolutely on it. Her voice carried authority in a way you had never heard before. Her eyes were different as well. This was Lily breathing fire. Best of all, she was authoritative, but not ruthless. If there was arguments and suggestions coming from elsewhere, she would listen, take it into consideration.

And come about 11pm a plan had formed. The whole room had gathered around a map laid up on a table. And map was used in the broadest possible sense of the term. It actually consisted of several pages taped together, probably printed out from google maps.

>So, do we go through this one more time or call it a day?
‘One last time’
>Right. This is our first line of defence, second is here, and third here

Lily points to various places on the map. The first line is outside the city itself, the second is on the outskirts and the third is a bit further in.

>Tanks on the hill. Here, here here and… there. Especially this position is important, since it’s well hidden and has excellent vision and firing angles.

She went over the whole thing one more time. Cars being converted to MG carriers and supply vehicles, the whole lot. Not long after, everyone left the room to get some well deserved sleep. You ended up staying behind a little and helping out with welding an MG mount to a 1982 Mercury Lynx. Desperate times calls for desperate measures
The dreadful reminder of 80s american car industry leaves leaving a trail of black diesel smoke behind it, and you are left standing. For a few moments you wondered where you would end up this night, but Lily had waited for you. Not said a word, not went and interrupted, or helped for that matter. She sat on the hood of the big G-wagen, leaving her feet a good bit up in the air. Even in the darkness, you could see something wasn’t right

>Hey…
“Hey Lily. Not going to bed?”
>No, not yet
“Out for a drive instead?”
>Mhm
“Actually, let me rephrase that. Want to go for a drive with me?”

Not long after, the door clunks shut and the big Mercedes roars to rumbles to life. You put in a gear and slowly heads east. She had done another 2 second mood change. Away was the cold, hard and stern professional. She was softer now. Fragile? At any rate you were sure this was a side of Lily no one had seen, maybe ever.

“Remember the day we got the gun in?”
>And you ended up in the infirmary

She sighs

“Well, that was the morning after. What happened between those two things?”
>We… 

Lily stops herself and looks at you. When she understood the purpose of this little drive, her reaction was worth dying for

>Thank you. Thank you so much

The big Mercedes crawled up on the hill where a defensive position would be tomorrow. It falls silent soon after. You get out, and climb up on the hood of a 250 thousand dollar car and pull Lily up after you. Then the roof.

You lie down, Lily follows just behind and pulls a blanket over you. Above was the entire night sky. Out here, in a city with no lights and surrounded by a desert there was absolutely zero light pollution. Normally one would see the moon and starts when looking up a cloud free March night, but it was so dark outside you could see galaxies. There wasn't a few hundred stars visible, there were millions and millions. As if the entire universe stage this act, made this play for just two people.
Lily could stay awake a little while. Some time later, she cradled up next to you and fell asleep. If possible, spending two full weeks looking up at the night sky would be good, but time was getting short, and the clock had just passed into tomorrow. You poke Lily a little, since trying to carry her down would most likely end up with you dropping her. She reluctantly hops down and slides down into the passenger seat

>Home…
“Soon Lily. I’ll drive back”
>No… warehouse, with the sportscar
“The Lamborghini?”
>Mhm…

She is half asleep, but you figured she had an idea. The idea turned out to be to drive the G-wagen into the warehouse and leave it there. A backup car, she said. That also meant she had to walk back to the base.

“Lily, one thing”
>Mhm?
“Seems a little weird of Helen to just turn up here?”
>That or getting killed, easy choice
“What?”
>Once the rest of us are gone, the people in SL City, didn’t agree with the offensive defense we had planned, so to say
“So, basically mutiny”
>Yeah. But they gave her the option of leaving
“Right”

Twenty minutes you were both back in her room. She kicks her shoes off, and tosses her clothes on the floor, not caring the slightest where they end up. You follow her into bed, but there was just not enough love for anything, not this evening. There was a shadow of something dark and heavy hanging over the whole country. First comes the trial, then comes the price