Hansel and Marion Chapter 22 Clearing the bar

The insert for chapter 22. I have a few more side stories on my mind but one of them is actually important in relation to the main story line so once a milestone I have set up is reached I’ll put that up. As for the more instant ones, some, no, mostly all of them are in about the modern era. Enjoy.

Chapter 22

Hansel woke up early, stood up and remembered where he fell asleep as the blankets fell off and his ass following. The blankets cushioned and muffled his fall, not waking up Marion, sound asleep with her turret still turned and relaxing on her hull belly and her gun completely depressed down. Hansel smiles coldly, thinking of the best miss they had last night then gets on his feet shivering and putting his morning wood away to die down.

“Holy shit its cold! It’s early this year for sure.” He talks to himself as he decides to keep his night clothes on under his uniform getting dressed. As he’s ducking under Marion’s gun mantle she embraces him and holds him to her warm hull.

“I’m sorry I lost it last night,” she began, kissing him on his forehead. “I don’t know what came over me, I’m lost there.”

“it’s fine,” he responds kissing her back. “It’s probably just natural when your cervix’s opened. No big deal we’ll just have to be careful.”

She brings him into another kiss on the lips, a long one before releasing him. “Your hair’s growing longer, I like it longer; wow it’s cold today, even in here. I wonder how cold it is outside. Do you think they heard me out there?” She asks teasingly.

“Oh I know they heard you. I know that for certain. And I know you like my hair.” Hansel said blatantly kissing her again before she stood back up on her suspension’s usual height. “Well we’re moving out finally. I’m going to see what all the others are doing before we leave; I want to talk to my family before we leave, still.”

“Alright but don’t get into trouble and be back before noon. I’ll probably be here getting my shit together.” They gave their farewells and Hansel trekked to mess hall for a bearing on his crew. As he walks through the doors he hears Inbred call to him.

“MY God Hansel! Could you make her scream any LOUDER!?” He yells sarcastically, Hansel smirks and walks over to his crew, where Whacker and Banker weren’t arguing for once, mostly because Whacker was out cold in his mashed potatoes. “Please don’t Hansel, I couldn’t sleep at all, Whacker slept perfectly fine I’m not sure as to why he’s out cold now.” Hansel looks over to Whacker, he was drooling into his mashed potato pillow. Then Inbred makes a shuddering noise, “how-how do you do it? It’s… uhuhuhgg… boiling hot motor oil burning and-and-and hot steel it-it-it’s… aahh howww? Yeah sure Marion’s attractive-but-but, eeugh!” Inbred was showing a little confusion and distaste.

“It’s not hot motor oil or steel.”

“Cold motor oil? Cold steel? I-I-I-?”

“No, Inbred, no, it’s none of that!”

“Then wha-what is it?! Hot steamy exhaust pipe?”

“No it’s no-well… mmehh kinda we can-”

“Doesn’t-does-da-doesn’t that burn? I-I still don’t get it!” Inbred was beginning to stutter that’s how confused he was.

“Alright Inbred shut up! Let me finish!” Hansel snapped, Inbred stopped fidgeting and sat slumped with his hands in his lap. Hansel sighed and rubbed his forehead with his thumb and pointer finger; he couldn’t believe he had to explain Marion’s most sacred parts. “Gah, it’s not motor oil, it’s a coolant mixed with a silver color, like Mercury but it IS WARM… not hot like burning but it gets… hot, when she’s… (oh God damnit) hot… Get it? Good; and it’s not steel it’s…” Hansel fumbled, he’s never had to compare it, he doesn’t know what it is. He could infer on taste but then Inbred would know what else he’s done to the tank he calls home. “Ah shit, it isn’t steel I guarantee that. It’s… soft, but metallic, it tastes metall-fuck!” Inbred went wide eyed, shocked at that point. “Fuck it! She’s all metal, she tasted metal but she’s soft like flesh and she can get pretty hot in there, alright!” Hansel looked at Inbred with his face saying ‘ya happy now Inbred!?’

“You didn’t need to be a bitch about it. If you blew her, you blew her, great; good for you two but Jesus don’t act like it’s a bad thing. Bunch of pussies.” Whacker commented slowly and out of it.

“How could you have heard that and be alright with it!” Inbred asked shocked Whacker was awake.

“Well she knows I’ve jerked inside her so, and she’s obviously got something Hansel can use to make her scream, so, and the only way I’ve made my girl scream like that was going down deep on her. Not that big of a deal. Love’s love, Inbred, get over yourself.” He said opening his eyes and rising, wiping the mashed potato bits from his face and beard.

“You were awake the whole time?” Hansel asked blandly.

“Yes I was awake, mashed potatoes are better used as pillows here. Where’d Banker and Meats go?” Just as he asked Meats walks over with a tray full of assorted meats, greens, and bread.

“Banker went to the shitter when Hansel sat down.”

“Meats why aren’t you cooking?” Hansel joked.

“Ah they’re just jealous of me, that’s why.” He sneered back. Banker walked back over and sat down.

“So now that we’re all here, what are we doing on our last day at Munich?” Banker was optimistic, and was looking around eagerly at his crew mates.

“Let’s go to a pub.” Whacker blurts instinctively. The crew looked like that was a bad idea except Hansel.

“Actually that’s not a bad idea.” They all looked at him in surprise; Hansel never let them into pubs. “I know of one, it’s a good place. I’ll get some chow there and not here, this stuff’s shit.” He got up and told them to meet him at the gate in thirty, they didn’t need to sign out with command, Marion’s crew was all on leave. Hansel goes back to Marion to tell her they’ll be at the bar.

“That’s fine; although I’m curious… could you bring back a keg?” Hansel furrowed his face.

“Why?”

“What do you think I can’t take it? I’ll be fine I just want to try it. Besides… it could make me… “She winked at him. He just huffed a single ‘hah’ and promised he’d bring her something. Hansel walks outside and spots his old Tiger and his crew packing up nearby with Faust and Anton with their crew. He decides to walk over and invite the crews to the pub.

“Hello Hansel,” The Tiger said, noticing him approach. “I don’t recall telling you my name they gave me.”

“No I don’t think you did.” Hansel responds nodding the group as a greeting.

“I named him Griffin.” His radio operator Emilie Volkstung said proudly and smiled at Griffin, who smiled back.

“I like Griffin,” Anton said as he chucked a rucksack onto Faust’s engine roof before climbing up to tie it to the armored skirt Faust has on her turret. “But like Faust better!” He grinned widely at Faust; she nodded her gun and pats him on the head before trying to tidy up his scruffy look.

“I know you do, Antie, that’s why you picked it.” She smiled at him and looked into his green eyes while he looked into her warm hazel eyes.

“So todays the last day in Munich and we planned on going in to a pub or bar, care to join?”

The women instantly declined for good reason, other drunken soldiers would take advantage of them, then one by one Faust’s crew respectfully declined except for Anton, who asked Faust if he could go. She thought for a moment before something struck her and she agreed to it.

“Hooray! Going to a pub! Finally a pub!” He’s never been inside one before and he’s spurting out all the things he’ll do such as drink, game, pub activities.

“Alright then come on. I’ll make sure he comes back intact and he doesn’t drink too much, Faust.” Hansel called to her, she lifted he metal brow-like eye protectors.

“Oh no let him drink all he wants…” Her tone was suspicious then she smiled wide and said under her breath, “all he wants.”

Hansel walked with Anton back towards some other crews, contemplating her message. He walked around and learned that sadly no others will be joining them, Irish wants to befriend E as much as possible before some combat can prove fatal, Edwards and his crew adopted their old ways of Jäger and Fritz’s crews being one large group, and all the other Tiger crews were busy on their own accords. So when the time came to head in the bunch of six looked at each other awkwardly, expecting more to accompany them, before driving off in a Kubelwagon to the city. Munich had cleaned up fast but the scars still bled, ruble was shoveled into collapsed basements, distraught people wandered the streets, and children sat distressed and too sad to play games, then on other undamaged streets life looked as if there was no war, stores, games, happy faces and playful children tugging at the group for something from the front like a helmet or a canteen. Anton was playing tag with some grade schoolers when Hansel pointed out the bar his father had taken him too. It was rudimentary and plain, but inside were much festivities, games, joking, women and food.

“Hey Antie, we’re here! Come on inside brother.” Whacker yelled to a taunting Anton who climbed up onto a store stand roof to avoid being tagged by a nine year old girl.

“You go inside, I haven’t played tag in a long time!-Ha!-Almost got me!” He continued to taunt her until she played the gender card and got him to climb down. As he continued the five others waltzed on into the bar and without even hesitating Whacker plops down next to a revealing fräulein at the bar; his two favorite things, while the other four mingle and drink. Things are going well, Whacker’s on his sixth beer in under ninety minutes, Inbred and Meats are enjoying the company and stories of some old Great War veterans, while Banker and Hansel are at the bar chilling out and bonding, Hansel couldn’t remember the group this actively engaging and merry, while Banker was talking about finances work and Hansel listening closely so he could work some money magic at the end of the war to free Marion of military control Banker took a swig of the cheapest beer and made it clear why it was the cheapest when he gagged and spit it out instantly.

“Wow that’s shit!” He exclaims after Inbred comes over laughing at him. He takes a sip and looks at him strangely.

“Another problem with you, Banks, this is pretty good.” Hansel motions for the bottle and takes a bit of it and is pleasant of it until the after taste hits and he spits out trying to free the wretched taste from his mouth.

“No no! Banks is right! Shit, that’s this beer, shit!” Hansel figured he’d get this for Marion; he didn’t want her to become an addict like Whacaholic and figured he’d save on money. After ordering the keg a group of rowdy Wehrmacht soldiers paraded in and asserted themselves around Hansel’s crew. Hansel thought nothing of it until he spotted the unit patch on the sergeant’s coat next to him… it brought back memories of that old panzergrenadiers that rode with his panzer unit…

“Greetings, Captain, what brings you here?” He spoke with a more northern dialect and sounded exhausted. “We’re in from the front and are looking for a good time, which this dumb bastard will miss out on!” He grabbed one of his squad mates by the shoulders right next to him and shook him.

“I’ve told you I’m against drinking. I don’t know why you even care bringing me.” He said very self-consciously, almost setting a disinterested tone.

“Ah well, fuck him! How’ve you been Captain?” The two talked for a good bit, every now and then Hansel caught Inbred looking intensely and suspiciously at the panzergrenadiers. Hansel talked about moving their tank column up northward tomorrow morning, their numbers and speed, all of it to a brother in arms. But the sergeant reeled when Hansel talked about the panzergrenadier unit that saved him and his tank many times in Russia. Hansel thought nothing of the unit in the west; he was in the west now, why not them?

“So hows about some beer?” The sergeant asked then asked his companions for their tastes. “Are you sure you want nothing? Seriously? Alright then, four beers bartender!” Hansel looked at his hand, he held up four fingers with his thumb tucked…

“YOU ENGLISH BASTARDS!” Inbred yelled as he lunged for the nearest intruder, who was pulling a pistol from his belt. Hansel goes wide eyed as a fist from the sergeant flies toward his face. He wipes the strike aside as Whacker reached behind the bar and grabs a bottle before swinging madly at the sergeant. A blow of the heavy bottle sends him sprawling onto the non-drinker behind him. Two others tried to gang up on Meats, Banker had been hit from behind with a club, Meats grabbed them by their throats and lifted them off the ground with his massive strength before body slamming them on the ground. The two forces clash as citizens scream and run out as guns fly out, no bullets hitting their marks. Hansel takes on the sergeant while Whacker takes on his sober friend, Inbred was pig-wrestling his foe and rolling him to hit anything heavy while at the same time being hit himself, Banker went out cold leaving Meats to take the force of two angry men who thought they could deal real damage to him. Anton runs inside and slams against the sergeant, he elbows Anton in the nose, blooding it, before Anton bear hugs him tight and head bangs him hard in the back. Hansel unleashes the fury that someone hurt Anton and punches the sergeant in key areas like the side of the head, gut, neck, and kicking out his knees. The group holds out long enough for officials to arrive and through questioning, discover Hansel’s group as German soldiers and the other as spies, the sober man had recording gear under his tunic, but thankfully, no transmission equipment.

The group recollected themselves and for the most part literally licked their wounds. Hansel had taken some time to take what he rightfully bought; a keg of shit beer, and Anton picked up a full bottle he’d found lying on the floor, he’d have his first back with Faust. The ride was tiresome, and Hansel knew he’d be in no mood if Marion was in heat still from last night, but he tended to Anton’s wounds who tried to fend him off, trying to prove to Hansel he could fend for himself. When they pulled back to the base they were met with hearty appreciations from the others, and while they waddled about trying to regain their footings, Anton stumbled worse than Whacaholic, prompting Irish to ask if he drank more than Whacker.

“No he didn’t drink at all, he’s just… worn down.” Hansel says as he pulls the keg from the back seat. Marion heard about the fight and was trying to get to them as soon as possible, but when she saw them all battered up in a mess she took a sigh of relief and grabbed Hansel and drug him to her lips and kissed him. He was so tired he let himself rag doll over her hull and told her with his enthusiasm in his kiss that he was not in a sexual mood. She pulled him away smiling and looked at him and the others all rag-tag and worn.

“Alright, from now on, no more pubs for any of you.” She lifted her eye shade brows and looked at them all squarely in the eyes until they nodded in agreement. After that she asked if Hansel brought her anything and was presented the keg, she tried some in the corner of her mouth holding the keg to her faceplate and drinking away. While she argued with Inbred’s side against Hansel and Banker on how it’s good Anton slips away still staggering like a drunk, searching for Faust. He was thinking about her as always, he was very much attached to her as a friend and comrade. She’s so pretty, so very pretty, no she’s beautiful. I wish I was as nice looking as her. I wish I could make her feel as good as I do around her, she always makes me feel good, she always makes me smile and picks me up just by being there… I wonder if I do the same for her… I want to make her feel as special like that, but, how? How could I? As he turns into her tank house he spots her angling her hull corner shot like with her looking at him with a very wide smile bearing her amazing razor teeth and looking at him through seductive eyes. Then she speaks to him in a low tone.

“Hello, Anton!”

Fin chapter 22

Yes.