The sky was littered with dark clouds; the breath of soldiers was clearly visible in the cold winter air. Soldiers had to wear wool stuffed leather gloves to keep their fingers from getting frostbitten or worse, their hands freeze to their guns. One soldier in particular stood out among the rest, be it from his stance, or simply because he was the only soldier not shaking in his boots from the cold. Not reacting to cold as intense as this would be an inhuman feat, and that is exactly what this case was. The soldier was a metal monster built to combat those built by the Allied powers of the United States, Great Britten, and the Soviet Union.
“Officer Panzer, ze scouts have informed us zat ze Soviets are rallying with ze Americans and pushing up from ze south.” One of the human soldiers spoke shakily from the cold, each word echoed by a distinct vapor that trailed his words as they were lost to the winter air.
“Any word on vat zey have brought, do we know vat ve are up against?” the shiny metal officer asked with genuine curiosity.
“Ze snipers have counted at least six tanks, four Sherman, two Soviet T-34s. Und ve have several reports zat ze American Mechanical Squvad Beta is traveling vith zem.” The man stated concern cutting through the shivering in his voice.
“Ah, so I vill once again meet my Mechanical brozers, Ha, zey vill not be so lucky to escape me zis time. Just remember Lieutenant vat ever happens zey do not reach ze compound. Ze teleporters must stay safe at all costs.” He laughed at the human’s shivering “Don’t worry Lieutenant, once you see ze enemy your blood vill run hot vith rage, the rage of a souzend men. Let ze anger flow through you, youre hatred vill give you strength to serve your fatherland.”
The lieutenant shuddered at the tone of voice the steel soldier had just employed. The voice was borderline insane almost splitting into multiple voices and sounding overall evil, yet at the same time both admirable and brainwashing. Panzer’s head perked up more than it had been previously and the MP40 resting at his side was violently whipped up, barrel trained on the tree line. The lieutenant’s heart skipped a beat and just as the metal man had said he forgot all the minor inconveniences in the world all ailments vanished from his existence. The soldier was plunged back into reality when the first tank shell slammed into one of the Tiger tanks waiting for the predicted assault. The Tiger stood strong capable of withstanding frontal assaults. Panzer looked ahead undistracted as he issued his orders.
“Hold zis line, nothing gets through. If you see anything zat is not in zis uniform, paint ze snow vith its blood.” Panzer commanded with an air in his voice that disregarded any potential future for himself. The kind of tone a father certain of his demise would take while giving his wife and son his final words before facing his death.
With that the steel humanoid lurched forward like a leopard chasing its prey. Absorbing the impact of numerous forty-five caliber rounds being fired at him as he charged forward undaunted. Sparks flew off his chest and shoulders as he laughed hysterically, like a mad man in a restraint jacket his laugh mocked the deaths brought about by the German sub machinegun. His rubber bottomed feet landed hard on the top of one of the Sherman tanks, he tossed a stick grenade into the slit in the front. Taking a moment to listen to the panicked shouts from within the belly of the rolling fortress before the explosion silenced the desperate cries. He chuckled to himself once more as he opened fire on the little rectangular opening of the second tank stopping it dead in its tracks. From behind that tank a pair of steel soldiers leaped down from a half track, one of them sporting an American flag the other bearing the red star of Soviet Russia. The American raised his Thompson and had just barely let off five rounds when he was struck by a panzer shriek rocket. The robotic marine stumbled around lamely one arm and half of his head missing the electricity sprang free as the condemned soldier tried to utter some form of final words. The Russian robot watched in horror as his last squad mate fell to the ground his remaining green eye flickering until finally going out with a pop. Though the Mechanical’s faces where not very good at articulating emotion the Russian had a profound facial change from that of shock and horror to pure un adulterated rage.
“You are going to pay dearly for that. If I did not have reason to kill you before, I can now rip every part of you away with bear hands and know it is to avenge my fallen comrades!” the Russian was yelling so loud with rage it scared even the soldiers in his own platoon.
Panzer raised his rifle but was cut off by one quick and very powerful right blow to the side of his face. The Russian didn’t even bother with his guns and quickly showed he was going to deal with this menace personally and by inflicting as much physical damage as possible. The German soldier stumbled back to regroup, he tossed the rifle to the ground, bumped his helmet forward, and raised his fists. Panzer leaned right to avoid another heavy blow from the enraged Russian built brawler only to have his helmet smashed onto the top of his head by the red warrior. Panzer launched his fist at the metal communist only to have it grabbed mid swing. The enormous metal paw of the Russian began to crush the comparatively miniscule had of the German opponent.
“I will destroy you for what you have done; you and your kind will all be slaughtered just as you have done to countless others.” The soviet mechanical spat his words in the face of the German built officer.
With a quick uppercut from Panzer’s free hand followed by the slip of the boot and an elbow to the neck the steel bear was placed on the short end of the brawl.
“I must say Red, I remember each of your friends dying at my hands, and oh how much fan it vas! Vhen I crushed zat British scout of yours vith zat train, or vhen your sniper stepped on zose landmines. Oh and just now ven your captain vas blown to bits by a rocket zat I didn’t even have to fire.” He let out a maniacal laugh as he remembered what had just transpired.
“No, you will be destroyed.” Red slipped from the Nazi’s hold and pinned him to the ground with his knee. “Now you pay the price.” He shouted in the face of his opponent as he rammed his monstrous fist through the space between Panzer’s chest plates, grabbing hold of and ripping out the battery that kept the fascist machine activated his face went more serious than it had ever been before.
“Oh, I am getting sleepy, is zis vat zat feels like, huh, I almost feel ba.” Panzer’s voice faded as he looked at the Russian holding the equivalent of the insane robot’s heart over his face, wires dangling from between his steel fingers. Red brought his face half a foot away from the decommissioned German officer and gave a victorious roar. He stood up and threw the battery down at the dead robot’s face; he took a second before retrieving his DP28 and bellowing a battle cry telling the remaining soldiers to continue the attack.
Luna’s eyes shot open, she had been watching and seen the horrors of the artificial nightmare. She had watched this dream once before, though the first time she was witness to Red’s side of the story. The Soviet robot had told of how he proceeded through to the facility and discovered a prototype teleporter. Upon activating the machine he found rather than the teleporter sending him somewhere else. He found himself some when else, in a forest. Luna had come to know Red through Twilight’s friend Fluttershy. At first Celestia and Luna had their reservations about him then when Luna saw his dream for the first time she demanded a one on one meeting. The difference between Red’s dream and the one she had just witnessed was shocking. In Red’s dream she felt the deep sorrow and pain of a pony or, man who had lost everything his friends or more accurately his family.
This one, this one was far different. This dream had a psychopathic feel to it, almost an overbearing, unreasonable hysterical happiness. The feeling of devastating evil was so deep she wasted little to no time rushing to her solar sister, in fear that her own dark side which made its self known as the infamous Nightmare Moon had returned. She rushed into the large study of the sun goddess and began to dispense with the details of the night’s findings. Celestia knew her sister could not be falling prey to the demon which haunted Luna once before, the description simply didn’t match the mood or actions of the Nightmare Moon alter-ego. However if one thing was clear whoever was in this synthesized dream Red had something to do with it.
“I shall get a letter to summon him here as quickly as I can.” Celestia levitated over a scroll and quill and began to write.
My dearest student,
It has been brought to my attention that Fluttershy’s new friend may be linked to a more imposing threat then we first thought. Princess Luna has just informed me of a duplicate dream she spotted while patrolling the night realm, though this dream did not come from the same place we believe Red can help us gather information on what may lay ahead.
Your proud mentor;
Princess Celestia
With an intense flash of yellow magic the scroll vanished into thin air and began its journey to the recipient.