"And
what do you think, Hauptman Deutschland?"
"Stop
calling me that. My name is Johanna and I would appreciate to be called that
too... at least as long as I wear civilian. And as for your question. The MAD
will see to it that these would-be vampires stay under observation."
"So
you don't believe the story?"
"Which
one? That he's a vampire or that he randomly hired Hydra fighters? I don't
believe at least one story of that."
"This
guy was as little a vampire as I am an Asgardian." Said Nina very
convinced.
"There
are some things I don't fully understand yet though," she laughed.
"For example why Fury sends someone who doesn't speak German. Normally he
tries to select his agents better."
Sin nodded
to her mother. She had already worked with SHIELD here and there and so far
this organization had always sent well trained agents who mostly spoke a dozen
languages.
"I
understand your skepticism, but hopefully you don't doubt that I am a member of
SHIELD?"
"Of
course we checked that out. Maria Hill personally vouched for you. She said
that you were just the right person. So why don't you explain why you of all
people are the right person for this request."
"Because
Fury thought so" Nina answers with a smile but Johanna didn't answer.
"Don't
think I forgot your words at the airport. You said that there was more than
science could explain. You claimed it was not an inhuman or a mutant! What did
I see there? A skrull? Is it happening again" she asked worriedly.
Nina
remained completely calm on the outside, but had to confess that she was in a
bit of a mess. She had strict instructions from Fury. The fewer people knew
about the vampires, the better it was. Since Dracula had intervened in World
War 2, SHIELD knew that this threat existed. It didn't take long until they
found Blade. Thanks to him, SHIELD had learned a lot about this threat. Until
then, they had assumed that Dracula was the only true vampire whose shadowy
creatures were summoned beings rather than real vampires. But thanks to Blade,
they had learned that Dracula was only the tip of the iceberg. It was a tangled
web of control that the vampires had built over the centuries. That was also
the reason why SHIELD had never directly attacked the oldest clans in Europe.
Even in the USA it was difficult to fight against the vampires without making too
big waves.
"I
must not let you in on all the details. I'm sorry."
"Do
you know what level of security we both have? My mother and I have the highest
security level! We are level 7 field agents," Sin growled angrily. She
couldn't stand being treated like that from above.
"Welcome
to Level 8" Nina grinned cheekily and enjoyed the look that the two women
just threw at each other. But before they could say anything, there was a knock
at the door and a major of the Air Force came in and salute Johanna.
"Captain!
Oberst a.D. Kulheim wishes to speak to you!"
"
Oberst Kulheim? Is he here?" Johanna asked astonished and very pleased.
"Yes,
Frau Hauptmann. He's waiting for you downstairs."
"Thank
you Major. I set off immediately. Where exactly is he waiting?
"
Oberst Kulheim is waiting in the east wing. The wing is currently being
renovated. But the Oberst served there for many years."
"Thank
you very much. I'm leaving immediately."
Sin looked
gently at her mother and smiled. "Is that Uncle Herbert?"
Johanna
laughed in a good mood and nodded. "You know how much he hates that you
call him that!
"Sorry?
asked Nina, because she had understood no word except captain and colonel.
"
Oberst Kulheim was a young private in World War 2. He once saved her life by
throwing himself into a bullet that would have killed her. Since then the two
are close friends. After the 2nd World War he had the rank of a captain and in
1951 he helped to form the German Reich Army".
"Moment.
Then the guy would be very old!
"Thank
you... Really... friendly" Johanna grumbled when she had left the room and
Sin nodded.
"He
will die soon yes. He had a good life and Johanna and he remained close friends
all these years. Very close friends. He probably wants to say goodbye."
"I
understand. Nodded Nina thoughtfully.
When
Johanna went into the east wing, memories came back. Everything had looked
different here then, but she remembered it well. Her old friend stood in front
of a wall and looked at one of Karl von Klausewitz's paintings. Herbert Kulheim
had always been a fervent admirer of the Prussian general. He had helped with
the foundation of the new Imperial Army and had been on the committee that had
formed the guiding principles of the new army. At Johanna's request, of course.
She trusted this man above all else. In all the battles they had fought
together he had always been a perfect officer. Committed to the highest ideals
and the prime example of a soldier. Johanna had learned a lot from him about
tactics and leadership. Never a single bad word had come over his lips and he
had never bothered that Johanna was a woman. It saddened her immensely that she
now had to see him like that.
In his best
times he was what Hitler liked to call the perfect Arian. 2 meters tall, blond
and bright blue eyes. That just this pure-bred German had stood so massively
against Hitler's coup was a slap in his face. But the man in front of her was
almost 100 years old. He had had a long life but of course life had taken its
toll. One last time he had put on his gala uniform and leaned on his walking
stick. With his 101 years he was weak but still radiated the unrestrained
dignity and power she had always enjoyed and admired.
When she
was on him on 3m, she hit the heels together and went into basic position.
"Oberst
Kulheim. Hauptmann Schmidt reports as ordered" she said and saw how the
Oberst turned to her.
The
movements were slower and calmer, his hand trembled noticeably but this look!
These eyes still radiated willpower. On the left side of his uniform were his
medals. The Iron Cross was the most important order and his pride and joy.
"Stand
comfortably Hauptmann" the man smiled friendly.
"Thank
you very much, Oberst." Johanna said and relaxed noticeably.
"It is
good to see you again Johanna. You pay your last respects to a dying
soldier" he said and there was no mourning or other negative sound in his
voice. He simply knew that death was lurking for him. "Well. No hug for
your daughter's godfather?"
Johanna
laughed amusedly and walked towards her oldest still living friend. But just
when she was on him her trained senses reacted. She took in a strange smell.
She had spent hundreds of days with this man in the dirt, had worked with him
for years when he had changed to the planning department and simply knew
everything about this man. The sound of the voice, the appearance, the syntax
he used, everything just matched her memories but that smell. Where had she
ever noticed it before? The stranger in the dark alley came to her. There she
had already perceived this smell once.
Her body
simply reacted fully automatically. At the last moment she withdrew a little
and saw something flashing. Even her superior senses had hardly been able to
see this attack. Her trained fighting reflexes started immediately. With a
fierce kick she hit her old friend in front of the chest and then piked back. A
hand grabbed her neck where she felt a drop of blood.
"What
the hell?" She kidnapped it. It was simply impossible for Oberst Kulheim
to strike such a blow.
She looked
confused at the old man standing in front of her. No trace of age or infirmity
was to be seen any more. He stood upright and had a long dagger in his hand
with a few drops of blood on his blade. On top of that she saw a surprised grin
on his face.
"Who
are you" she asked angrily. "What have you done with the Oberst"
she shouted angrily and wanted to sound the alarm. But this man moved with a
speed that no normal person should reach.
Johanna
blocked the blow with her right hand and quickly grabbed her wrist with her
left. She attacked to a perfect ninjitzu attack but she felt immediately that
the enemy was trained in this martial art. Her opponent was not only lightning
fast, but also incredibly well trained. Even before she realized it, the
cheater jumped forward and rammed his knee into her stomach. The force behind
the attack was enough to squeeze the air out of her lungs. Distracted for a
second by the pain, she could not resist the elbow strike of the attacker. The
power did not come from the force, but resulted directly from the enormous
speed. The blow had been perfectly targeted. Without her superhuman abilities
she would now be dead. She slipped over the floor and then rolled off.
Breathing was difficult at the moment but she was able to survive it.
"So
you're not so bad at all! Good. She grinned and got up and went into a
defensive position.
Her
opponent rolled arrogantly with her eyes and laughed briefly. Again he jumped
directly forward and started a direct attack. But he clearly underestimated
Johanna. Twice she did not fall for the same trick. She countered his attack
and not only managed to take the blade away from him, but also to inflict some
hits on him that would have beaten a human into a coma. But her opponent stood.
He not only stood. He seemed frighteningly unimpressed.
"Stop
playing games! WHO ARE YOU" she hissed angrily only to stand there
astonished. Her old friend was gone. In his place now stood a flawless woman in
a black suit who did not allow any illusions about her body. This woman had
simply emerged from nowhere and had taken her friend's place.
"Then
show me what you can do" she hissed and stormed forward...
6 minutes
later Johanna staggered from the east wing into the main wing. The present
officers looked at the heroine in horror. Her clothes were torn in dozens of
places and she bled from just as many wounds. One eye was thick and blue
swollen and her lips burst in several places. Her right arm hung loosely
dangling from her body and with every step she seemed to limp. The people
present stared in disbelief as Johanna fought her way into the room... only to
fall down in the middle of the room. A puddle of blood formed beneath her at
breakneck speed.
"I... beat... her....find..Oberst... Kulheim.." was the last she could say.
"ALARM!!!
LOS LOS!! SANITÄTER!!!" yelled one of the officers and ran to her.
Immediately the soldiers stormed off and while some armed ones searched others
in the neighboring room for the attacker. Still others were in the process of
treating Johannas wounds.
A few
minutes later Sin struck next to them. She had seen what was going on and had
jumped down 4 floors to be faster. She stared at her mother and was stunned.
She had already seen here and there that she had been beaten but this looked
like she had been messing with the Hulk or Wolverine.
"What's
going on here Sergeant?" she asked the man who bandaged her mother.
"She
is alive but has several cuts. There is also an oily substance in the wounds. I
fear she was poisoned! The paramedics are already on their way."
"Who...
was... that" Sin growled and looked at a man coming from the east wing.
"I
didn't find anyone. But the east wing looks as if there had been a fight. The
only thing I found was a pile of dust!
"Damn
what happened here. Where is Uncle Hubert?