A week later…
The City of Catania, the next major city up the northern coast with a bridge over the river Semento needed to be taken in order to continue north. The British attempted another airborne drop into the city that proved initially successful but the isolated paratroopers were deep behind enemy lines and had to hold out for three days before the British army managed to come up and support them. Even then, there was fierce resistance from the Italians that stalled the advance into the northern part of the island. Despite the claims of the officers, not all the Italians threw their arms down and surrendered.
The City of Catania was fiercely defended by a thousand Italian soldiers, two companies of German Luftwaffe and a platoon of the 15th Panzergrenadier division along with several German armored halftracks, a dozen Italian halftracks, and a few Italian tanks. Sergeant Arthur Kingsley was leading a squad in Catania while Webb was recovering in a medical tent down south. He managed to avoid any fatal injuries from the tank blast but he was lucky. They were working with part of the British 8th army charged with taking Catania but that was easier said than done. Kingsley and his squad were tasked with heading east to reinforce a platoon on the eastern side of the city but were ambushed on route.
"Keep up the pressure boys! Watch the left flank!" Kingsley shouted, laying down fire with his Bren light machine gun while behind some cover. The rest of his squad was behind cover as they kept up fire against the German Luftwaffe that were dug into their positions and surrounding buildings like ticks. Kingsley reloaded his Bren and adjusted his aim, firing at some German soldiers hold up on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. The other British soldiers fired with Sten Submachine guns or Lee-Enfield MK 3 bolt action rifles while the Germans kept them pinned down with Kar98K bolt action rifles, MP-40 submachine guns and MG-34 or MG-42 machine guns.
One of the British soldiers reloaded his Lee-Enfield rifle and took aim when he saw a German armored halftrack drive down the street towards them carrying more soldiers and armed with an MG-42 that opened fire on them.
"Fuck! What do we do, Sarge?!" One of the soldiers shouted.
"Cover fire! Walkins, Lawson, move to the right and try to outflank it! The rest of you, suppressive fire, and grenades!" Kingsley shouted, adjusting the aim of his Bren Light machine gun, and laying down fire at the halftrack, causing the German soldier manning the MG-42 to duck and recoil while killing one of the soldiers who got out of the vehicle. The rest of the men provided cover fire and kept the Germans as pinned down as they could while Private Lawson and Walkins rushed from their cover through the square to some buildings on the right. Lawson made it through and took cover behind the building but Walkins got pierced through the side with a bullet and dropped down.
"Walkins!" Lawson leaned out and fired a round from his rifle before rushing out to get him but several bullets whizzed near him that made him hunker back behind the building for cover.
"Sarge, Walkins, down!" A soldier shouted as he reloaded his rifle.
"SHIT!" Kingsley saw Walkins on the ground, bleeding but still moving so he was alive and if he was going to stay that way then they needed to get him out of there. "Chester, take the Bren!"
"Yes, Sarge!" A soldier replied, manning the Bren, and firing at the Germans while Kingsley took his Sten and loaded a fresh magazine before pulling the pin of a grenade.
"Cover fire!" Kingsley shouted.
"Cover the sarge!" Lawson shouted as he and everyone else opened fire. Kinglsey ran from cover, firing a few bursts from the Sten before throwing the grenade which rolled near some Germans taking cover near a fortified position.
The grenade went off, killing some of the Germans as Kingsley ran through the square without any fear or hesitation. The second he was near Walkins, he pulled him by his straps towards the building for cover as Lawson rushed out and helped him. "Walkins, you still with me?!" Kinglsey put pressure on the wound through his side as Walkins coughed up some blood.
"Just peachy, Sarge but wishing I was back home." Walkins muttered and Kingsley chuckled when the gunfire seemed to lighten up. Kingsley peaked his head out and saw the German's were flanked behind by something that got their full attention and judging by their gunfire and shouts, it was something serious. When he saw some Germans getting tossed around, he had a good feeling about who it was.
"Thank god for the calvary." Kingsley muttered as he saw several Germans get knocked back by Clark who barreled through them. He walked through the area, firing his BAR at the Germans in the buildings and rooftops while they shot at him but their bullets bounced off. The British soldiers who recognized Clark smiled while those that didn't watched in awe as he pushed a German soldier with enough force that sent him flying across the city square. One of the Germans took out a M1943 Stielhandgranate stick grenade and threw it at Clark who actually caught it like it was a baseball and threw it into the air where it harmlessly went off.
Clark rushed forward at super speed and barreled through a sandbag fortification and knocked around the Germans. Clark quickly reloaded his BAR and finished up the Germans perched up on the rooftops and in the windows of the surrounding buildings as the British soldiers moved up and maintained heavy fire. Through their combined efforts, they finished off the last of the German defenders in the area.
"Clear!" Clark shouted, slinging his BAR over his shoulder.
"Secure the area!" Kingsley ordered and his men did that as their medic rushed over and tended to Walkins. "Hang in there, Walkins."
"I got him, Sarge." The medic replied as Kingsley got up and walked over to Clark.
"You ok, Arthur?" Clark asked and got a nod in response.
"Better now that you're here." Kingsley replied, shaking his hand. "Thanks for the assist."
"Happy to help. It came over the radio about the heavy resistance in Catania and reports came in from the Italian resistance that an Italian battalion was coming to reinforce the city so General Alexander requisitioned me to come assist in the push." Clark told him.
"General Patton was ok with that?" Kingsley wondered and Clark shrugged.
"More or less. The resistance on the western part of the island hasn't been as intense as on the eastern side." Clark took out a map from his pocket and put it on a broken slab of brick acting as a makeshift table. "Patton's taken the 7th army and is pushing across the entire western part of the island at breakneck speeds. While he helped secure the western part of the island for the allied ships and Mediterranean shipping lanes, General Alexander's not happy. A lot of those forces could be used to reinforce the men in the center of the island. Calls it Patton just being Patton. It's why he wanted me to come help the British 8th army to make up for Patton's push. And technically I report to the SSR which is a combined Allied group so I go where I'm needed."
"Well, glad to have you with us again, Elbert." Kingsley pat him on the shoulder. "With you, we'll be able to continue our objective and head east."
"Roger that, Sergeant. We can use those halftracks to make up for lost time. I made sure not to wreck them." Clark replied, putting his map away and reloading his BAR.
"All right, gents. I want an ammo count and take what you can. Lawson, take Walkins and the medic and one of those halftracks and head back to command. Get Walkins checked out." Kinglsey ordered.
"Roger that, Sarge." Private Lawson replied.
"The rest of us will continue heading east. Johnson, get in the halftrack and start driving. Don't worry, lads. With Corporal Elbert here, things are looking up for us." Kingsley told him as the men got into one of the halftracks while Private Lawson, the injured Walkins, and the medic got in the other and headed back to command.
"Who is Corporal Elbert?" one of the soldiers asked his friend.
"Don't know. Sarge, who is the American?" A soldier asked him.
"The Man of Steel." Kingsley joked. It was a moniker or nickname some of the local Italians gave Clark and it had a certain ring to it. "With him on our side, this fight just got easier and Catania is gonna be ours. Step lively!"
The men boarded the halftrack and continued headed east.
London, United Kingdom
Things at the SSR headquarters in London was business as usual with every agent, analysist, and clerk doing their job as diligently as possible. The reason they were working as diligently as possible is because of the recent success and push for the allies in the war. The Amphibious Allied Landing of Sicily was off to a great success thanks to the efforts of the operations from Naval Intelligence and the works of the recon team that was put on the island. The intelligence they gathered along with securing the town of Syracuse gave the invasion its added momentum that the war effort needed. Not only that, but Allied intelligence received reports that Mussolini himself was voted out of power by King Victor Emmanuel and Italy's Grand Council of Fascism. There were even whispers of Italy seeking capitulation with the Allies and ending the conflict.
Colonel Phillips was beaming with pride as reports were coming in from the recon team as well as field reports of British and American forces about Corporal Kalvin Elbert. If the reports and eye witness statements were true then Elbert was now super strong, super-fast, and with skin so dense and powerful that he was able to shrug off bullets and explosives. He felt a great sense of vindication for himself and the SSR since it was his Project Rebirth that gave them their super soldier and he was doing exactly what they needed. He was going to put Elbert in for a medal as well as a battlefield promotion.
Agent Peggy Carter walked through the SSR base with some files in hand when she noticed some agents reading the newspaper. The headline read, The Man of Steel: The Allies super soldier success in Sicily. The body of the article was about the recent success in capturing the city of Catania on the eastern coast of Sicily and the eyewitness reports of a soldier that the locals dubbed L'uomo d'Acciaio or in English, the Man of Steel. The reports claimed that this man was able to run faster than a truck, with the strength of ten men and skin harder than metal. There was even a war correspondent photo on the front page that showed this Man of Steel in action. Granted the photo wasn't that great and it was taken at an angle with the sun so you couldn't really see his face but it clearly showed a man and his uniform with the large diamond black shield on his chest with a S in the middle. The most incredible thing about the photo was that the man was holding up a German armored halftrack over his head with both arms.
Peggy spared the newspaper and photo a second glance before walking away and getting some files from a file cabinet. She looked at the list of files she needed to get and got them out one by one when someone leaned against the desk next to her, holding the newspaper up to his face so she got another look at the front page.
"You know, I've got to say…Man of Steel is a pretty good nickname. Granted I think it would make more sense if it were something that started with S given that I had to stich that on his suit." Peggy pushed the newspaper down to see it was Howard. "Maybe we should shorten it. Steel? Nah, too basic. Steel man? No, doesn't work."
"As much as I would like to play nickname roulette with you, Howard, I'm very busy." Peggy told him, grabbing the last file she needed before walking away.
"I can see that." He replied as he folded up the newspaper and followed her. "So busy for the past two weeks that you've done the work of five clerks and analysts all by yourself. Now, if I didn't know any better it looks like you're putting yourself into your work to avoid dealing with a problem. Or more accurately, to avoid dealing with a certain Kansas farm boy that we both know."
"Brilliant deduction Howard but don't give up on your day job." Peggy told him.
"Come on, Peg. I know that look. I've seen it in the mirror when I'm focused on a project." Howard stated. "You're putting yourself into your work to avoid dealing with whatever happened between you and Elbert."
"Whatever business that occurred between Corporal Elbert and I has nothing to do with you, Howard. In fact, it has nothing to do with the SSR and its personal which I would like to keep." Peggy stated, opening a door into a room, and sitting at her desk.
"I get that, Peggy, I do." Howard sat down at the edge of her desk and put the newspaper down so she could see the front page photo. "But this is me coming to you as a friend. To you…and to Kal. I've seen you two together. There's something special there."
"I wasn't aware that you two were that close." Peggy pointed out.
"Not as close as you and he are but…we've got a friendship. Kal may seem like a typical country farm boy but he's a good man. Just being around and talking with him…Kal sees the best in everyone, even someone like me. Rather then quickly label me as the genius playboy that I am…" Howard said with full honesty in his voice which was a surprise for Peggy. She didn't think there was ever a conversation she had with Howard where he was this honest. "…Kal looked past that. He looks for the good in everyone despite whatever has happened. I can say for certain that if there were more people like him in the world then it'd be a better place. You know that better than everyone here."
"Howard…" Peggy was cut off when he put down a wrapped parcel on her desk. "What is this?"
"Kal sent you this." Howard told her. She looked over the package and did see it was addressed to her from Clark. "Look, Peggy…whatever is happening between you and Kal talking with him and working it out would be the best thing. He's doing incredible things but if this war has taught us anything it's that anything can happen. What you and he have…it's genuine. And take it from someone who has never had a real relationship like that in his life. And despite all my best attempts…I don't think he's the kind of guy who's gonna climb into bed with the first Italian girl who smiles at him."
Howard gave her one last smile before taking his newspaper and getting off her desk. "Howard." Peggy called to him, getting him to stop before he walked out of the room. "Thank you. It looks like Kal is starting to rub off on you."
"I hope not too much. I can't pull off what he has. Besides, I'm good as it is." Howard gave her a smirk and a wink before walking away.
Peggy chuckled a bit before looking at the package and opening it with a letter opener. Inside was a letter and a journal. She put the journal aside and opened the letter, taking out a note and a small necklace which is when she recognized the S-shaped emblem on it. It was Clark's necklace. The one he always had around his neck. She put it aside and opened up the letter.
Dear Peggy,
I hope you receive this letter and read it. I can't say again how sorry I am I lied to you about who I really was and putting you in that position. I'm not sure if this would mean anything but I want you to know that I care about you. You are the only person I have ever felt comfortable enough telling my secret to and if you decide that you want nothing more to do with me then I promise that you'll never see me again but I want you to know that I would make that same decision again and again. You are an incredible woman and it has been my honor to know you.
I'm not sure where my path in this war may take me but it would be ignorant of me to assume that I won't face danger that could put me in harm's way. Which is why I've included my necklace, the one thing I have of my birth parents. If something should happen to me, I'd appreciate it if you sent my journal and my necklace to my mother at the address below. I sent the only thing I have left of my birth parents and my story to you because I trust you completely and if you want to know my story then you deserve to know the truth. I hope that by reading my journal you get to know more of the real me just like you've seen fit to tell me things about you that you've never told anyone.
I hope we see each other again one day but if not…then I hope your life is filled with adventure and the happiness that you deserve. And whoever you decide to spend the rest of your life with…I hope he makes you happy.
Sincerely yours,
Clark Joseph Kent.
Peggy reread the letter in her head and it was like she could hear Clark speaking to her. She put it down and looked at the necklace, tracing her finger over the symbol before putting it down and picking up his journal. She opened it to the first page and began reading.
"My most vivid memories are of the days my life changed…" Peggy whispered as she read through Clark's journal, getting to know more about the man and who he really was.
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