It was a little after 6 in the morning and the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon in England. Clark was awake and looking up at the ceiling, the steady rhythmic click of the clock acting like a metronome and was the only sound in the room aside from the ambient noise. Granted to Clark he was able to hear more than anyone. He heard the flap of a fly's wings off in the bathroom, the snoring of a dog in its doghouse blocks away and the blaring of the morning trumpet coming from the military base miles away. Clark's hearing was just as powerful as his sight which allowed him to see things from great distances, see in the dark, view thermal radiation and look through objects except for lead. His super senses were the most challenging as those kind of finetuned senses were incredibly disorientating and painful. They first started to appear when he was in elementary school during class. His ears blared with noise and his eyes constantly shifted from x-ray to thermal and everything in between which led to a small freakout. Eventually his mother arrived to help him focus and with more time on the farm and training from his parents he was able to focus his powers, so they didn't hurt. He could see and listen to what he wanted and right now he was focused on the person sleeping beside him.
Peggy was curled up next to him, her head on his chest and sleeping away. He looked down and carefully moved a strand of hair from her forehead and smiled before slowly planting a kiss on her head. He had a few minutes to spare before he had to get up and get ready for the day, so he just stayed in the bed, relaxing in Peggy's presence. He caressed her back, rubbing it tenderly and heard her give a hum of delight, clearly enjoying it. He almost felt tempted to rub further down but refrained knowing that kind of stimulation would certainly wake her up. The minutes passed before he regretfully felt it was time to move on. So, after carefully extricating himself from the bed and laying Peggy down slowly so he didn't wake her, he went to the bathroom to get cleaned up. After a quick shower and teeth brushing, he got dressed in his uniform looking all clean, prim, and proper like a military man would.
He looked at the clock and it was around 6:30 so he super sped out of the room leaving a gust of wind which made the window drapes flutter as well as the bed sheet but quickly returned with two cups of coffee. He walked over and placed the cups down on the bedside counter before he sat down on the side of the bed and looked at Peggy sleeping. He traced a finger across her cheek as she slowly stirred awake and saw him. "Good morning." He smiled and she smiled back.
"Morning…" She let out a small yawn before sitting up and giving him a kiss. "That's a good way to wake up in the morning."
"It's quickly becoming my favorite." He told her and she smiled. She pushed the hair out of her face and tightened the bed sheet covering her body.
"What time is it?" She wondered.
"6:30. You looked too comfortable, and I thought you could use some extra sleep." He said before handing her a cup of coffee. "Would you like some coffee to help start your day?"
"Thank you." She took a small sip as Clark grabbed his coffee and did the same. "So…"
"Yeah." Clark said, taking another small sip of coffee. "You were so right about last night and having me stay. I would have no idea what I would have given up on if I left."
"So, you enjoyed yourself?" She asked.
"Yeah." He almost felt offended Peggy would think he didn't after all they did last night.
"Even the part where…"
"Especially that part. I loved that part." He said with complete honesty.
"Good. Me too." Peggy smiled as Clark put his cup of coffee down.
"So…um, you're on board with this, right? What we are and what we have? This wasn't some…oh, you're going off on a mission tomorrow so you can spend the night in case you don't come back?" He asked her.
"Uh…no, not for me." Peggy answered.
"Ok, good. Me neither." He told her.
"Ok, good."
"Good." Clark smiled as she put her cup of coffee onto the bedside table next to his.
"But uh…it is still a little early. And I don't have to report in for a little longer." Peggy said with a subtle fluctuation in her voice to give him a hint and Clark picked up on that.
"That is true…very true…" Clark muttered as he watched her moved her hand over and unbutton his jacket. "And I have super speed so I could get to the airfield in the blink of an eye. So, what would you…um, like to do then with the time we have?"
"Um…I don't know? We could read." She suggested, unbuttoning the last button of his uniform.
"We could listen to the radio." He offered, slipping his jacket off to the floor and then undid his tie.
"We could get something to eat." She then slipped his tie from his around his neck and it joined his uniform jacket on the floor.
"Yeah, we could do that." He leaned in and the two kissed. Peggy wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down onto the bed with her before Clark wrapped his arms around her and rolled over. Peggy let out a gasp and a slight chuckle as the couple enjoyed another moment together.
British Military Airfield
An Army MGC CCKW transport truck passed the checkpoint into the airbase before it drove over to awaiting transport plane. The morning crew were finishing the check on the plane and fueling it up for the flight. The team got out of the truck with their bags containing their gear and supplies for the mission and saw Clark speaking with the pilots. He was dressed in his military uniform with his bag on the floor next to him and the new modified SRC-300 backpack transceiver next to it.
Clark saw his team walk over so he shook the pilots hands before he walked over. "Morning, everyone. Hopefully you're all fine without the hangovers?" He wondered.
"Just peachy. Nothing a cold shower and several cups of coffee couldn't fix." Lucas pointed out as he opened his canteen and took a drink of water which is when Clark tossed him a small flask. "Where'd you get this?"
"Parting gift from Howard Stark but I'm not really a drinker so have at it." Clark told him as he picked up his bags. "All right. Make sure you got everything and let's go."
He walked over to the plane and his team followed. "He seems to be in a good mood this morning considering what we have planned." Solange pointed out.
"Something tells me he and Peggy had a good time last night." Logan remarked with a knowing smirk, especially since he could smell traces of the scent on him. He took out a cigar from his pocket and put it in his mouth. "Guess the boy scout was able to cut loose after all."
"Lucky him." Lucas remarked as he opened the flask and took a swig when Clark popped his head out of the door.
"You're all aware I can hear you, right?" He pointed out. "And Logan, don't light that thing in the plane."
Logan grumbled in annoyance as he put the cigar back in his pocket and got onto the plane with the others. Once everyone was on, their gear stowed away, and the plane was fueled up the pilots took off and flew them to Sicily.
Several hours later…
Gerbini Airfield: Paterno, Sicily
The team settled in their seats as the pilots flew them down to the airfield for their landing. Clark looked over at the others and saw that Logan was hunched over. "Logan, you ok?"
"Ugh…fine. Just get me off this thing." Logan grumbled, looking like he was gonna start vomiting any second.
"He doesn't look good, boss." Lucas told him.
"Right. Uh…get us down there as quick as you can." Clark told the pilots and they nodded, making their approach to Gerbini Airfield located in the town of Paterno.
The airfield consisted of a series of flat agricultural fields used for runways and parking planes. It was first used by the Italian Regia Aeronautica and German Luftwaffe Forces during the early course of the war but then bombed by the US Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force bombers during Operation Husky. Now it was under the control of the USAAF where the army engineers improved the field to hold their light and medium bombers while a nearby encampment was established for ground support and station infrastructure. The pilots were guided down and made their landing with Logan not puking as they did before the ground crew signaled the pilots where to park.
The team grabbed their gear and disembarked the plane with Logan being one of the first to get off. He shook his head and took a few deep breaths to ease himself when Lucas walked over with the flask. "Thanks." Logan took a small swig and handed it back.
"You ok?" Clark asked him, hefting up his bag and the backpack transceiver.
"I'm good." Logan stood up and found his poise as an Army Airforce Lieutenant walked over with a squad of soldiers.
"Sergeant Elbert?" He called out and Clark stepped forward before putting his bags down and giving a salute, so the Lieutenant saluted back. "Lieutenant Anthony Marshall. Colonel Phillips radioed that you were coming. If you and your team will follow me, we'll show you to area you can put your gear down. Afterward I'll take you to meet your pilots and the plane."
Clark and the others were taken to a large tent where they could put their gear and relax before they met up with the pilots at the German Ju 52 Transport plane. The Army Air Force mechanics and engineers were able to make a modification so they could attach the static line that deploys the parachutes automatically once they left the plane. The work was done so they were going over some last-minute checks while the pilots inspected the plane.
"Ten-hut!" The Lieutenant shouted and everyone stood at attention.
"Sergeant Henry Lee Jordan." The pilot introduced himself.
"Corporal Steven Rockwell Trevor." The co-pilot introduced himself.
"Sergeant Kalvin Elbert." Clark introduced himself. "Thank you both for volunteering for this mission. It means a lot."
"Our pleasure, sir." Jordan told him.
"A chance to help get Mussolini was too good to pass up." Trevor added and Clark nodded.
He went through the plan with the pilots, and they checked to make sure their radio transceiver on the airplane would be able to receive a transmission from the team in the field and confirmed the rendezvous location. Once everything was confirmed, they had several hours to wait until it was time for their flight, so they made sure that they had all the ammo and supplies they needed along with making sure that their weapons were cleaned and oiled for use. The team sat on their bunks or around a table and were using their cleaning kits to give their weapons some last-minute maintenance. Being a part of this team meant that they were working with the SSR which gave them access to better resources then they traditionally had. Clark didn't force them to wear anything they didn't want to and all of them were comfortable in the uniforms they already had but now they were made of the same Carbon Polymer material his suit was made of. That offered them better protection, less weight than regular clothing, and more mobility. They made personal touches to their outfits that they wouldn't be able to do if they were in regular armed forces. For example, Halima kept the large scarf she wore in Africa which helped her deal with the sun and sand. She kept it as a reminder of her work in the desert. Solange kept the Dutch flag shoulder patch on her uniform. Lucas added a blue field jacket to his outfit and kept the scarf he wore in Africa as well. Padmavati was able to keep the bangles she wore on her wrists and John was able to keep his Blue Helmet Patch which honored the 93rd Infantry Division.
Richard Webb pulled back the slide of his Sten Submachine gun and used some cloth to clean it of any dust before he used the gun oil. Arthur Kingsley was cleaning the barrel of his Sten gun and when it was finished, he reached into his bag and removed his machete to clean it next but first he had to attach the suppressor to his gun. Both Kingsley and Webb were armed with new modified British Sten Submachine guns. They were given silencers to attach to the barrels but those weren't the only new things they had. New pistol grips were installed to replace the usual metal grips and added foregrips in the front improved stability. And they were given new double-column staggered feed magazines chambered in 9mm to prevent feeding issues of the gun. Next to Webb was the SRC-300 backpack transceiver. He was the only one on the team besides Clark that had radio operating training so he would be their designated radio operator. Logan was smoking his cigar while he cleaned his Thompson M1A1 Submachine gun. He preferred to keep it simple. Daniel Take-Yatsu cleaned the loading port for his rifle and blew away some dust. He was the sniper/recon for the team and instead of using a Springfield rifle he stuck with his M1 Garand. Howard was able to modify it with an attached single-ring Springfield armory mount scope. This would allow Daniel to attach it to the barrel so it wouldn't impact his shooting or loading and could be detached if necessary. He also added in a compensator in the front and a silencer but how well it would work was still up for debate.
Lucas Riggs was the only one on the team with explosives expertise and experience, so he was the team's demolitions expert. That meant he was the one who carried an excess of grenades and explosives. He had two sling pouches that were filled with a variety of explosives such as No.36M grenade AKA Mills bombs, Mk.2 frag grenades, No.76 special incendiary grenades, no.77 white phosphorus smoke grenades, and No.82 Gammon grenades. At the moment, he was making some adjustments to a bandolier so he could strap some grenades to it for easier carry and convenience. He reached over and grabbed a leather strap next to his Australian Owen Submachine gun. It was the same gun he used in Africa and was given a general overhaul with better parts. Solange had finished loading bullets into magazines and was now taking a cleaning cloth to the barrel of her De Lisle Carbine. The De Lisle carbine was a stealth bolt-action carbine made for the British Commandos. It had an integrated suppressor in the barrel and its use of subsonic .45 caliber bullets made it one of the quietest weapons, perfect for the British Commandos who used it. Considering there was a stealth component to their mission they were able to get one to use.
Halima finished cleaning her MP-40 and was giving it a once over just to make sure she didn't miss anything. It was the gun she used in North Africa but Tony and the SSR engineers were able to reinforce some of the old metal parts to improve its handling, structural integrity and improve its resistance to dirt and rust. Also included was a more durable collapsible buttstock for improved accuracy and special double-column staggered feed magazines in 9mm like the modified Sten guns had. One of the issues with the MP-40 was that the single feed magazines were prone to jamming or improper loading so the double-column magazine would keep that from happening. Diggle pulled out his cleaning rod from the barrel of his M1A1 Carbine which was the paratrooper variant with the folding stock. Diggle was the trained medic of the team, so he didn't need additional weight to the supplies he had on him. Padmavati ripped a piece of cloth to clean the loading port for her shotgun. She was using a Winchester M12 shotgun AKA combat shotgun with a heatshield, bayonet lug and attached swivels for a sling but the barrel was longer at 24 inches instead of the usual 20. And it was given a general upgrade with some better parts.
Clark was with his team at the table and getting his gear ready. He put his BAR rifle to the side while he cleaned his Colt M1911A1 pistol. It was just a regular BAR M1918A2 and not a modified one because he figured that it would just be a waste. During his fighting in Sicily, the modified BAR Howard made him ended up destroyed when he got blasted by a tank in Syracuse. Then the one he used after that got riddled with bullets in Centuripe. After that happened Clark just stuck to his fists and using his pistol which he was actually fine with. Because of his powers Clark tanked through bullets and explosions and while his bio-electric aura protected his clothes it didn't protect his gun or equipment which is why he didn't carry around the SRC-300 receiver and had someone else carry it. He was going to use the BAR for this mission in case the team needed some light fire support but afterward he might just stick with a sidearm. He told Howard that so his Colt 1911A1 pistol was given an upgrade. The barrel was improved and slightly elongated, the trigger was modified for faster shooting with a guard put in place, Howard put in a new grip molded to Clark's hand for ease of use and the entire thing in general was made of some better, sturdy material. That meant it greatly increased the weight but to Clark it was the same as before. The other members of the team had various pistols as well and were better than the regular mass-produced versions given to the regular armed forces, and they all had the wristwatch walkie talkies so they could communicate. Clark did say the SSR had toys for them to use and he was right.
Other then taking stock of their gear and servicing their weapons all they could do was wait until it was time. The Lieutenant on the airfield checked and the weather would be clear for them to fly tonight and no new news of German or Italian movement in the area they would be flying over so that was a good sign. They just had to wait until it was time. Some of the team walked around the airfield to look around or in Logan's case to play cards with some of the soldiers off duty while others got some rest. Clark walked around to clear his head and did see Diggle, Webb, and Halima talking off to the side when some off-duty soldiers walked by and made a rather uncouth, sexist, and aggressive remark about Halima. Basically, remarking if she wanted to spend some alone time with them. That went back and forth as Diggle and Webb told the soldier to back off.
"Should we break that up?" Arthur asked as he and Logan walked over to see what Clark saw.
"No, not yet. Webb and Diggle have her back and are trying to deescalate the situation." Clark told them when he saw the soldier made another remark and that one was just disgusting. "Egh, I'm never gonna unhear that?"
"What'd he say?" Logan wondered.
"Nothing I can repeat in present company. That's for sure. And it looks like…" Clark didn't need to finish as he saw Solange knock out the soldier with a vicious right cross to the jaw. "Yeah, she did."
"Oh, that looked like it hurt." Logan chuckled in amusement as he took a puff from his cigar.
"In his case I hope it does." Arthur added as the three walked over.
"You fucking bitch!" One of the soldiers friends tried to get her but Diggle and Webb pushed him back.
"Enough!" Clark shouted, getting them to stop and drawing the attention of some nearby soldiers and personnel.
"Sir, did you see what she did? Are you going to do something about that?" He asked.
"I am and I'll handle it, but your friend should know better. A true soldier would handle himself with dignity and respect even when off duty. Let that sink in while you're dragging him to the medic and tell everyone else the same." Clark warned them and the two soldiers didn't want to argue with the Man of Steel, so they just carried their friend away.
"Sorry about that." Solange said to Clark. "I know that was a bit too far."
"It was but then again, I saw Peggy do the same to someone else and Colonel Phillips was fine with it. Guess I am as well." Clark told her and she smiled. "Next time try to go below the belt. That will make it hurt more."
"You got that right." Logan joked as they walked back to the tent.
"Nice punch." Arthur praised and she smirked.
Several hours later…
It was a quiet night and time for the first part of the plan. Clark and his team had gotten some rest but now were standing ready with all their equipment and weapons. Airborne troopers on the base checked over their parachutes before they were secured on and they entered the plane. Jordan and Trevor were already in the cockpit and ready to fly with a Paratrooper engineer by the door who would help if anything went wrong and guide the team through the jumping process. The pilots looked at Clark to get the go ahead. He motioned them to wait one moment before looking at his team and could see some of them were nervous, so he decided to say something.
"I know this was a lot to ask of all of you and I'm beyond grateful you're all here. From the bottom of my heart, I'm honored to be here with you all." Clark told them and they all smiled or gave him nods of affirmation. "Now, let's go make history. Sound good?!"
"Hell, yeah!" They shouted. Clark smiled and decided to let to the language slip on this one. He signaled the pilots, and they turned on the engines. The propellors of the plane sped up and the ground crew helped maneuver the plane into position before signaling them to take off.
The Man of Steel and his team were on their way to their first mission, and it would be one for the history books.
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