Steps Towards War

“So, uh… What’s there to talk about, sir?” Wilhelm asked. After everyone had left, the two sat there for nearly a minute without speaking. Having vented his rage, the captain sat back down, pushing back his hair and sighing. At this moment, Wilhelm thought he looked very tired. Tired, and old. A soldier’s life he lived, and he seemed determined to die a soldier, too.

“It’s about the new Cyberitter. I’ve had this in mind since Damian’s passing, but… Well, there weren’t any additional suits to use. Between us, the top brass decided to take the doctor’s experiments in a different direction. There won’t be any more cybersuits like yours, Wilhelm. Mass-production is the name of the game. You all were just test subjects. That’s the truth.”

“Uhm,” Wilhelm said, shifting uncomfortably. “What about the new person?”

“Right, right. My ideal candidate’s someone you know very well: Levin Drechsler. I’ve looked over their combat statistics. Excellent work in the field, your right-hand man. Often spends time leading Squad Azure in your stead, from comms. What’s your opinion, Wilhelm?”

“Huh?”

“Are they fit for the job, or not?”

Levin, a Cyberitter? At first, Wilhelm could think of no dissenting reason. Levin fought well, shot better, and led more often than Wilhelm did, even. Their scores at the academy had been nothing special, but in the field? Wilhelm could think of no better candidate.

“Yeah, definitely. Levin’s got everything it takes. Can’t think of anyone better, honestly.”

“Good, I’m not out of touch,” the captain said, smiling. “Then it’s settled. Levin can take Squad Azure and rename it, I suppose. Well, unless you’ve got an issue with that?”

“No. It’s more Levin’s squad than mine.” Can’t even remember any of their names.

“Hm..." The captain looked at him with furrowed brows, but said nothing. "Then you’ll take Florent’s squad. I’ll introduce you to them some time soon.” Next, the captain reached into a drawer and pulled out a bottle of wine along with two small glasses. 

“Let’s drink on it, then.”

“Huh? But what about tomorrow’s drills-”

“We just took another major step on the way to our goal, Wilhelm. Drills can wait.” He offered the glass to Wilhelm. “To our victory!” With a glass in his hand, the captain, at last, smiled. Wilhelm took the glass and hoped the night would be short.

____________________________________________________________________________

The next day had been a blur for Wilhelm, wandering about in a daze. But the day after that, Levin formally entered the Cyberitters. They introduced themselves to everyone, although everyone on Team A knew them already, and thanked the captain profusely for the opportunity. Afterwards, the two walked back to their new quarters, located within a small fortress at the center of Minsk. It wasn’t much, compared to their quarters in Warsaw, and Wilhelm often found himself heading out into town to find some entertainment.

“Um, Wil? Thanks again, seriously. I owe you one.”

Levin, in their new sleek, grey uniform, looked every bit the part of a Cyberitter.

“Don’t mention it. The captain already wanted you; I just put in the last word.”

“Still, it means a lot to me. Becoming a Cyberitter is one thing, but getting to stand shoulder to shoulder with you… That’s what I’ve been working towards, all this time.”

Wilhelm smiled. “And it’s what you’ve been doing, too. Haven’t you saved my ass already?”

“Yeah, but that’s…” Levin trailed off. “We weren’t equals, y’know? That’s what I want.”

“And we’re still not, not till you used to a cybersuit. When’s the doctor getting here?”

Levin frowned. “In a couple days, I guess. I wish it was today, right now. I’m ready, Wil.”

“Yeah, sounds like it.”

“I’ve been ready. And once I get that suit, I’ll pass you up in no time. Count on it.”

Wilhelm laughed, and Levin’s frown deepened. “What, you think I can’t?”

“Maybe you can,” Wilhelm said. “But you’d better put in the work, or you’ve got no shot.”

Levin smiled again. “Don’t need to tell me that. After all, I’ve got a goal too, Wil. Remember? You're not gonna be the one to bring down the Red Reaper, if I've got anything to say about it.”

“Honestly? If you save me the trouble, I’ll thank you for it… Say, let’s hit the mess hall.”

“Huh? Don’t we get our own meals for, like, being elites?”

“Sure, but for old time’s sake?”

Levin nodded. “Why not? One last meal to make us remember to not come back.”

On their way to get mediocre food, Levin had one final question to ask.

“When do you think it stops? This invasion, I mean.”

“The way the captain talks, New Moscow’s the end of it.”

“Oh,” Levin said. “The war’ll end soon, then… Guess I have to make the best of it.”

____________________________________________________________________________

The next week, Wilhelm went out to meet his new squad. Florent’s old pals, he thought. The captain had told him to meet with them on the base’s tarmac, the makeshift location for the various drills that EIF forces in Minsk did nearly every day. The black tar, and the beating, summer sun, made for a lethal combination. Every step that Wilhelm took produced new beads of sweat, and his uniform, light as it was, barely felt as if it made any impact. The light above made it difficult to see, if one looked too high. Wilhelm cursed his luck. I hate summer.

Eventually, he found the chunk of tarmac granted to him and the rest of the Cyberitters; only Mathilde and her squad were using it. As he entered, Mathilde, in her cybersuit, gave him a friendly wave. He returned it languidly, the heat robbing him of his senses.

Shockingly, Wilhelm was one of the first to arrive. He took cover under a nearby, unused plane: its shade like an oasis in the desert. Thoughtlessly, he took a long swig on the canteen that he had brought, only to spill most of it on the asphalt. The day just gets better, huh?

“Waiting for someone?” Mathilde asked, exiting from her suit. She sat next to Wilhelm and offered her own canteen, which he took with great gratitude. The drink restored Wilhelm’s functions, albeit temporarily.

“Yeah. Florent’s old squad is mine now, so the captain wants me to meet them. Drill them a bit. Not something I’ve done a lot. Levin handled most of it.”

“You let them have too much control over your squad, Wil.”

“Huh? But Levin did a great job.”

“Yeah, but it’s your squad. Look: Do you see mine?” Wilhelm looked, as asked, and saw, as asked. What he found? A perfectly normal drill.

“What am I looking at, again?”

Mathilde sighed. “I’m taking a break, sitting with you, and they’re all following exactly what I ordered them to do earlier. If it were you, would Squad Eight have stuck to the letter?”

Probably not. “I mean, maybe-”

“The answer’s no,” Mathilde said. “Now, if it was Levin? Yes, they would have. Now, Rudolf may never have said this to you, but since I'm your new partner, I have no problem saying it. Wil, you’ve never really acted like a leader… In some ways, that helped your own performance.”

“I couldn’t do half of what I have, if I was worried about them. That’s what you mean?”

Mathilde nodded. “Right. That said, you were lucky, too, that Levin followed you no matter what. Back in Berlin, would any other second-in-command have gone in that deep with you? Would anyone else have rallied the others to go on what looked like a suicide mission?”

“...No, probably not. Not without me giving them a reason for that loyalty.”

“Exactly. So, a word of advice? Don’t take shortcuts, this time.”

“I won’t, though… It might be rough, at the start.”

“Most things are, but you’ll figure it out. And hey, if you ever want pointers, feel free to ask! But not right now, okay? I’d better get back before those guys get on my case over this. Good luck!” Mathilde hopped back into her exosuit and rushed off, immediately returning to her drills.