Sudetenland and Germany — July–August 1940
It was fast.It was brutal.And it wasn't a victory.
The pass was narrow. Too narrow. A bend between two forested hills, a village no longer on the maps, and partisans who knew exactly where to strike.
The first shot came from the bell tower. Precise. The shell slammed into the side of the Panzer 38(t), shaking it violently. The tank groaned, the engine choked, and the interior exploded in smoke, light, and shrapnel.
"Konrad!" Falk shouted.
The gunner didn't answer. One hand was pressed to his side, eyes wide. Blood spilled between his fingers.
"He's hit! Turret's jammed!" Ernst shouted.
"Everyone out! Now!"
They rolled out as best they could. The second shell struck the rear transmission. The 38(t) stopped for good, burning slowly—as if it knew it had never truly belonged to them.
There was no counterattack. Only withdrawal. The enemy vanished into the woods.
A truck evacuated them to a rear base. Konrad was sent to the nearest military hospital. The rest waited for news, mud still clinging to their boots and minds.
"Operational loss," Helmut read from the report. "Tank destroyed. One seriously wounded, not fatal. Regrouping in Germany."
Falk didn't answer. He just watched the smoke rising from his gunner's uniform.
Weeks later – Military Hospital, Germany
Konrad slept. Bandaged. Breathing with effort.
"They say he'll be fine," Lukas murmured.
"They say a lot of things," Falk replied.
Ernst placed his polished helmet on the nightstand. Helmut stood with arms crossed. No one spoke much. Pain wasn't new—but this one cut deeper.
"He'll come back. And so will we," Falk said, never taking his eyes off the stretcher.
Tank Depot – Bay 2
There it was.The Panzer IV.Not a replacement. Theirs.
Covered in canvas, freshly repaired, with patched paint and visible welds… but it was him. Steel remembers. And so did they.
Falk climbed through the hatch and took his seat. Everything felt the same. The controls. The smell of leather and dry oil.He didn't need to test it. He knew it would run.
"We've got our voice back," Helmut said.
"And our teeth," Ernst added.
That night, in the barracks, the order came:
"Unit remains in operational reserve. Tactical readiness. New destination: southwest. High priority."
"Southwest…" Lukas repeated, eyes on the map.
In the corner, marked in red: Gibraltar.
Konrad finally sat up in his hospital bed, slowly. Falk approached.
"We're waiting for you."
"Is the tank ready?"
"Yes. Ours."
"Then… I was the last piece," Konrad said with a faint smile.
Falk nodded. He knew soon they'd be whole again.
Because the war wasn't over.It was simply changing language, landscape, and direction.
And the next word… would be stone, fire, and sea.