The Angel of Europe

by

Rodford Edmiston

Part One

The apparently ordinary man working at the plain, wooden desk in the small, modestly equipped office looked up as the door opened. Another man, someone as unassuming as the desk and the man behind it, a man a bit below average height, dressed in a self-effacing way, was escorted into the very functional office by a WAAF. At first glance there didn't seem to be anything unusual about the newcomer, except that he was a bit darker in eyes, hair and skin than his host. He did look tired, but so did nearly everyone in Britain these days, with the Blitz just over and the threat of invasion fading. In silence, the woman escorted the second man to a chair in front of the desk, then stepped back. She looked at the man seated behind the desk, to see if he wanted anything more.

"That will be all, Abigail," said the man, with an upper-class English accent. "Oh, and see that we aren't disturbed, would you?"

"Of course, Mr. Chesney," she said. Though the man wore civilian clothes she saluted him, spun smartly around and marched out, Service Dress swirling. The door closed firmly behind her, the glass in it rattling a bit. Beyond the door were the typical sounds of a busy British WWII military office; on this side of it someone with good hearing could still detect that, but the sounds were more muted than they should have been in that situation. Something most people wouldn't notice. The two men looked at each other for a moment. Though different in backgrounds, build, clothing and even coloring, they did share one thing: An odd sort of intensity or clarity in their gazes. A look of eagles, as some would call it.

"Aaron LaBelle," said the man, nodding, finally. He raised an eyebrow. "Or should I call you Malak?"

"Is that supposed to impress me?" said the visitor, in a surprisingly deep voice and an American southern accent. "I haven't made much of an effort to keep people from connecting my two identities."

"No. I just wanted to let you know that I know." Chesney leaned back in his chair, playing absently with a pencil. "I need your help."

"Many people need my help. Just me being here is costing lives."

"Like you, I am in the business of saving lives," the man behind the desk said. He leaned forward again, putting the pencil down to rest his forearms on the varnished wooden surface. "Like you I am also empowered. My gift takes the form of being able to pull together details from disparate sources and extract important threads of information from them. Things which most others - even those with empowered minds - have missed. For this and other reasons I have been given the code name Mastermind."

"Again, those abilities are not all that impressive. I have known many empowered with enhanced intelligence. I even have a touch of it, myself. That is one reason I have been successful at liberating death camps set up by the Nazis and Soviets."

"The Russians are our allies," said the stranger, firmly. He sighed and relented. "Though we are, of course, aware of their violations. Some of us even admit the problem. For now, though, we need their help. As we need yours."

"Why did you ask me to come here, when I could be helping people?"

The visitor had a strong force of personality. Though he did not raise his voice, his gaze and words produced an unfamiliar sense of intimidation in his host. Boris (Mastermind) Chesney was not used to feeling intimidated. Not even by general officers or Prime Ministers. Not even by royalty.

"Though you have done much good work, you are treating symptoms," said the man, plunging ahead to cover his unease. "I propose a group effort to strike at the roots of those symptoms."

"Human greed and the willingness of some to abandon their free will and turn all responsibility over to charismatic leaders?"

"Not... yet," said the man, with a slight smile. "Also, perhaps 'roots' is an overstatement. No, for now we can't even get to Hitler and his cronies. We certainly can't eliminate the very human failings which allowed them to gain power. However, the Nazis have assembled - and in some cases created - their own empowered. Men and women of great ability who, for whatever reason, are willing to participate in the atrocities committed at the orders of the Nazi elite."

"I have been involved in conflicts against other empowered before," said Aaron, his tone and words mild on the surface but revealing much underneath. "Both on my own and as a member of a group. There is usually a considerable amount of damage involved. Though, since there is currently a war on..."

"Exactly," said Chesney, nodding. "Also, in this case, the action would take place in Germany, itself. So any side effect damage would actually help our War effort."

He leaned forward now and spoke more quietly. As if to emphasize the secure nature of what he was about to reveal.

"We have information that a training camp for Axis empowered has been established on an island in the southern Baltic Sea, a place known as Vilm, just off the German mainland. The camp is in the middle of an ancient forest and very difficult for conventional forces to get to, which is likely one reason for establishing it there. We haven't tried bombing it, yet, since they are still building the facilities. However, even getting photo recon has been difficult. This is in part due to the forest; in part because we don't want them to realize that we are aware of their plan; and in part, well, apparently there are powers involved in keeping the facility covert."

"If I understand you correctly, you have a plane make a photo reconnaissance," Aaron gave the word a somewhat distorted French pronunciation, "run and the installation you mentioned just happens to be in the plane's path. Except that the photos taken over the island usually don't show much, despite such misdirections."

"Yes. However, we know from other sources what is intended for the camp and in general what is going on, at least currently. Our plan is to have a small group of special commandos - that is, a few empowered - attack after the group is assembled but before they have done any significant training. Meanwhile, a military force will raid the SS base which has been constructed on the southern part of Rügen Island, just to the north of Vilm. Partly as a diversion, and partly because that facility needs such attention. It has artillery emplaced which is a threat to Allied aircraft, and potentially our naval craft as well."

"That means you need to train your own group of empowered. You better have a head start on that."

"We do. However, we need a heavy hitter. Especially one who is a master of several languages and who can heal others, as well as someone who is possessed of other useful abilities. For example, you'll also be our eye in the sky. Those are several useful abilities from one person, but as I said this will be a small group."

"I was in the military for the first one. I don't plan to re-up."

"I'm not asking you to. I am a civilian, myself, yet I know that military application of powers is... tricky. We have learned - by the hard way, in some cases - that there are limits to what one person can do, no matter what powers they have. When you are outnumbered hundreds or thousands to one, and those opposing you have military weapons, your level of personal power doesn't matter much. Your own experiences in London during the Blitz are excellent examples of that."

"I believe the limitations of using potent individual empowered to pursue military goals was demonstrated rather decisively in the recent killing of the Supreme Socialist," said Aaron, pointedly.

"Another good example," said Mastermind, nodding. "However, we empowered are still a resource which can aid the War effort, in groups or singly. While there will be a military operation associated with this project, the members of the group which I am assembling will be part of a team which officially does not exist. At least, as an actual, military force. As long as you cooperate with each other and strive towards the goals of the operation, I don't care about the internal organization of the group. Just keep in mind that this should be a non-combat operation. If you have to engage in violence, something has gone wrong."

"I am in," said Aaron, nodding. Chesney wasn't surprised by the suddenness of this decision. Those with enhanced intelligence tended to make up their minds quickly, once they felt they had enough information. "At least tentatively. I will need more information on the group and the people in it before I can say for certain whether I will participate."

Again, this conditionalism was not unusual for those with empowered intellects.

"Fair enough," said Chesney. He handed Aaron a typed list. "Here's what - and who - we have so far... I believe you will find most of them at least acceptable. You even know one of them."

Some were only listed by code name. All had only the briefest description of their abilities:

Commander Zero (general physical augment, who also had heightened intelligence) was a native Brit

IM Tallman (aka Knotsoe Short, very heightened physical augments) was from the US

He was the one who had worked with Aaron before.

Gregory Sutter (general physical augments) was from the US

Molly Ironwood (heightened senses) was from Puerto Rico

The Infiltrator (master of disguise and acting, expert at English, French and German) was of unknown provenance

Conquistador (physical augments) was from Spain; he had been on the losing side of their civil war and was a refugee in Great Britain

Reynard (heightened physical abilities, focused on stealth, plus a fox alternate form) was a French native, and also a refugee in Great Britain

Cobber (physical augments) was from New Zealand

The Solution (who always has the answer) was an upper class Englishman

"I do know one of these people," said Aaron, nodding tentative approval. "I've heard of most of the rest. All potentially very useful in the sort of operation you propose."

"Commander Zero is in charge," said Chesney.

"He is one of those I've heard of," said Aaron, nodding again. "He is supposed to be both physically capable and extremely competent."

"I can confirm both characteristics. As for the others, some are included in case of combat and some are included for gathering information, both of which will likely be useful in the operation."

"Excellent. I look forward to training with them. I just hope we can do the job."

Part Two

The members of the group had to meet ahead of time, of course. Not only to become familiar with each other but also to be briefed on and trained for their roles in the upcoming raid. Most had already met, and even already trained some together. This all took place on a joint Royal Air Force and US Army Air Corps training ground, to which Aaron was taken in Mastermind's own staff car. The team was actually housed in a secure and separate area. Not only were the British and US forces assigned to the base kept apart from each other, but the civilian team which Aaron had just joined was supposed to be kept separate from both groups.

Of course, this intent was much more easily ordered than followed. For all three groups.

"I am very pleased to welcome you to our team," said Commander Zero, as he shook hands with Aaron. He dismissed the corporal who had driven the American to the team's assigned, isolated barracks, then continued in a more confidential manner. "I'm told you are the only other military veteran in our little group. I'm hoping you'll be able to instill a little discipline."

He had a middle-class, northern England accent, but a vocabulary - and manner - reflecting most of a life spent in the military. Physically he was very stocky, but also quite athletic. Aaron knew from reports of his exploits that the man was mildly superhuman in every aspect, including his resilience.

"Having worked with Tallman I know he can be rather free spirited," said Aaron, dryly, as they entered the relatively new Quonset hut. "Are the others really all that bad?"

"Well, they're all civilians, so I didn't have high hopes going in," said Zero, with a sigh, as he saw that the room was empty. "Especially since we have a woman on the team. Your quarters will be in the same attached building as mine. I consider you my second in command. By the way, you'll need to change into the same jumpsuits as the others wear. There's several pair in your size in your wardrobe."

Aaron nodded. He preferred wearing flannel shirts and jeans, but was flexible about his clothing.

"I've been on civilian teams with women," said Aaron, as he was escorted out the rear door of the hut, along a short, covered pathway of the same apparent age as the main building and into the much smaller - and older - attached officers' barracks. "As with men, the individual's inclinations are more important than their sex."

"True," said Zero, a bit reluctantly. He showed Aaron his small but functional quarters. "However, I'm speaking of logistics. We had to wall off part of the barracks just for her, as well as supplying a separate shower facility and so forth."

Commander Zero waited in his quarters for Aaron to change, which didn't take long. Even though Aaron took a moment to examine himself in the small mirror which came with his room. The American noted there were no insignia on the plain, blue jumpsuit, while Commander Zero wore a regular British Army uniform with a Colonel's rank insignia and multiple campaign ribbons plus multiple medals. Once back together, the two men returned to the common area. Aaron noticed that Commando Zero was looking around the room again, this time scowling.

"I, uh, gather that there's supposed to be someone here?"

"All of them are supposed to be here," said Zero, sourly. "That includes their instructor for this afternoon. They're supposed to be getting training in the use and maintenance of the STEN gun."

"That's something I could use, being trained only in the bolt-action rifle and the French 73," said Aaron, wryly. "Though I grew up around firearms and can usually handle them competently."

"One of the reasons, I believe, Mastermind selected you. Come on, then, let's see if we can find them."

As it turned out, the team and their instructor weren't far from the barracks. They were assembled on the ground in an arc in front of their instructor, sitting in the shade of a stand of trees not far from the rear of the barracks. Aaron could see that the team members wore the same military-style fatigues with no markings which he had been issued. Though the man teaching them was regular British Army.

Sergeant Wilfrey had a STEN submachinegun in pieces on a folding table, and was going over one part with a solvent-soaked, small brass brush. He exchanged salutes with Commander Zero and continued with the instruction. Zero and Aaron stood nearby, watching.

"There, nice and clean! Just dry it off thoroughly, then give it a light coat of oil. As long as you take care of the carbon buildup and keep your gun properly lubricated there should be no problems. Any questions?"

There were none. After the class ended, Zero introduced Aaron to the group.

"Good to see you again, Knotsoe," said Aaron, as he and Tallman warmly greeted each other.

"Likewise. With you on board this little enterprise of ours just got a big boost." He laughed. "We might actually have survivors!"

The others looked at the pair a bit askance at that - except for Commander Zero, who instead gave Tallman a disapproving look - but they said nothing.

* * *

Dinner that evening was in the air base's mess hall, though the group sat at their own, isolated table. Still, they were gathered in the same room as the other diners.

"This arrangement seems unreasonably public for a secret operation," said Aaron, concerned, in a low voice.

"There's so much secret stuff going on these days that the average person just pays it no attention," said Commander Zero, confidently. "Besides, sometimes secrecy just has to yield to pragmatism."

"That doesn't seem very reasonable," said Molly, her tone doubtful. She was a native Puerto Rican, a dark-skinned, exotic beauty. "I mean, what if the Nazis get wind of our project?"

"Our enemies are people who prize dogma over data," said Aaron, still speaking quietly, and apparently from personal experience. "Wishful thinking over objective analysis. If they think something of theirs is secret, it would take a great deal to change their minds about its status. They are also very compartmentalized, with the compartments kept isolated. I seriously doubt that even if someone among the Nazis is aware of this project, that those in charge of the island have been told about it."

"Isn't that most people, though?" said The Infiltrator, wistfully.

The Infiltrator was apparently a typical Englishman, who spoke with a middle-class accent. Knowing his reputation, all of that was likely an act.

"On both sides in this conflict," said Commander Zero, with a pragmatic air. "However, the Nazis, especially, are prone to this."

"So you're saying that effect is real?" said Molly, still a bit skeptical.

"I've seen it, too," said The Infiltrator.

Molly nodded, then turned back to Aaron.

"What was it you called Tallman earlier?"

"Knotsoe," said Aaron, grinning and giving the big man a nod. "One of his earlier aliases was Knotsoe Short."

"I was young and easily amused," said Tallman, with a shrug. "Most people were too intimidated by my size to question that name."

"This is a serious business," said Conquistador, flatly. He was nearly as dark as Molly and his voice nearly as deep as Aaron's. He was the second biggest member of the team, barely edging out Commander Zero, and had a flamboyant mustache which made him look a bit like Stalin. "Try to remember that."

Tallman's reaction to this criticism wasn't obvious, but Aaron caught it. He realized that Commander Zero had, as well. Aaron decided that either the two men would have it out soon, or that Conquistador wouldn't be with the team much longer.

Reynard seemed mildly amused by the interplay, but said nothing, concentrating on his food. He was the smallest member of the team, actually shorter than Molly, who was unusually tall for a woman in that time and place. As expected from his nom de guerre he was a lean, foxy man.

The Solution was bland in appearance and manner. He rarely spoke, and when he did his voice was quiet and almost a monotone.

Cobber and Sutter were similar in looks and mannerisms, the main difference being Cobber's accent. Both were of medium build and coloring, but obviously quite fit.

Their meal finished, the group disposed of their trays and garbage appropriately and headed back to their barracks.

* * *

"Conquistador could be trouble," said Aaron, as he spoke with Commander Zero while the two perused the training course that evening. "He disappeared for a while after we ate and when he turned up he was drunk."

"I already had serious doubts about him," said Zero, mildly. "The fact that he was on the losing side of the one war he was in is only part of it. Not to mention that he isn't taking the training seriously. I'll speak with Mastermind about of him."

"Aren't you worried he'll spill the beans?"

"Not my job to worry about such things," said Commander Zero, blithely.

* * *

Details of the operation required multiple meetings to work out, of course. In part the additional planning was required because additional information kept coming in. Chesney, Commander Zero and Aaron had several long talks about the enterprise, with more being divulged by Mastermind each time.

"The organizer of the Axis empowered training camp is a man - apparently of Bavarian origin - known only as The Integral."

"There's something else going on, here," said Aaron, frowning. "Is he simply too protected to assassinate?"

"That's... part of it," admitted Mastermind. "In this case, though, he is a largely known quantity. We don't want him to be replaced by someone we know nothing about."

Aaron could sense that there was more than even that involved, but kept quiet.

"At any rate, having you on board, Aaron, has made others on our side more interested in this project. We've actually had to start lying about what you people are doing. Part of the reason we decided to drop Conquistador is that he couldn't keep quiet about the mission."

"I'm worried he'll let the Nazis know what we're planning," said Aaron. "The man's loyalties are... suspect. As is his discretion."

"Only you, Commander Zero, I and a select few of my superiors know the details of the operation," said Mastermind, confidently. "Conquistador was not told the location of our target, or the goals of the mission beyond destroying a training camp, with an SS base involved. Even you two don't know how you'll be transported to the island."

Aaron glanced over at Commander Zero. Who seemed remarkably unworried over the security problem Conquistador might present.

"Sounds like you have everything under control," said Aaron, nodding. "However, I am concerned that enough information has been made available that the Nazis will at the very least be on their guard."

"They are always on their guard," said Mastermind, pointedly. "We just have to be careful they are no more on guard than usual. So that their confidence overcomes their caution."

"At any rate," said Commander Zero, calmly, "we go in just a few more days. The Nazis who do hear about our mission will take that long just to decide whether to do something. Then they have to get their bosses to agree that the matter should actually be investigated. Then they have to go through the bureaucracy to warn those on the island. I'm not worried about that. There's plenty else to worry about."

Well, he was right about that.

* * *

The physical exercises on the training course proved revelatory. Even Aaron and Commander Zero participated, and both of them managed to show up most of the recruits. However, all of those involved in the operation turned out to be more physically capable than the majority of unempowered humans. Even Molly, who was supposedly along for her heightened senses, could almost casually break Olympic records.

Reynard turned out to be one of the rare empowered who could physically transform, something which was casually mentioned in his records. He demonstrated this ability a few times during the training. He could go from completely human to completely fox, at will. His clothing, fortunately, changed with him, actually vanishing when he went full fox. When "on the job" he usually was mostly human but had a short muzzle and foxy ears on the sides of his head, rather than on the top as happened when he went full fox. This partial change provided him with additional physical enhancements, including keener hearing and a far better sense of smell. However, the team was under orders to not attract attention. For the most part, Reynard therefore kept his appearance strictly human except when their training required him to change.

Of course, not attracting attention meant that most of their training was in an isolated area or after the usual hours. Therefore, much of it was conducted in a location on the large air base which was far from prying eyes. Only the team members, the base's managers and a handful of trainers even knew the place existed. Even so, rumors started going around the air base about the strange group of civilians.

The training mainly involved various types of drills. They marched. They ran. They overcame obstacles. They were taught the use of weapons, as well as unarmed combat. All both with and without their powers, though the latter was for only when there was no-one unapproved about. Aaron and Tallman proved very useful in this training, especially the unarmed combat part. The team members were also trained in demolitions. Commander Zero and The Infiltrator both already knew quite a bit about explosives. They were taught more, while the rest were given basic instruction. If even one member of the group was able to reach the Nazi training area, they should still be able to do considerable damage to it.

For their weapon training the group used the standard target range, but late in the day. They waited for the range rats, who normally worked in the trenches behind the targets and made repairs after the range closed, to leave. So there was just the team there, for secrecy. Of course, the people who maintained the range noticed the effects of their efforts, the next day. So far there had been only a few complaints.

Aaron turned out to be the most consistently accurate, with every firearm they were tested on. He was so consistent, in fact, that there were comments from the staff about the ragged holes he left in the backboards. Some members of the team suspected he was only off that much to keep from being accused of missing the target completely with most of his shots, having put them all through one hole. He wasn't the only one in that elite group who was a good shot, but he was by far the best. However, at least one person expected more of him.

"Not bad," said Tallman, with a smirk, as the group stood at the firing line and examined one of Aaron's targets, "but you can do a lot better. Why don't you let your wings out? We've seen what Reynard can do, after all."

"'Wings'?" said Molly, interest perking up.

"He thinks it's immodest to transform in front of people," said Tallman, smirking even more.

"'Transform'?"

"This is not a situation for modesty," said Commander Zero. Who had been told about Aaron's transformation, but had not seen it. He was therefore curious. Though that could not be told from his expression. "Also, if we lose the explosives, or simply don't have time to place them, your spears could do the job."

"'Spears'?" said Molly, becoming increasingly curious.

Aaron sighed, and changed. His plain, military-style garb became white robes, his boots became sandals, his hair grew longer and he became taller; in fact, he was now a bit larger in all directions, standing almost as big as Tallman. Finally, a huge pair of dove-grey wings sprouted from his lower back. The center feathers extended almost to his feet, serving as a tail.

"You're the Angel of Chicago!" said Sutter.

"Not an angel," said Malak, tiredly.

"I'm glad I got to see this again," said Tallman, with a satisfied smile, nodding.

Indeed, Aaron - or Malak, now - appeared quite impressive in this form. In part because of the room his wings required, but also because that "look of eagles" was even more intense in this form. That his wings were obviously living appendages, and were as mobile and expressive as his arms, reinforced this new impressiveness.

"Well, you have already proven your prowess with firearms," said Commander Zero, managing to not show how affected he was by this apparition, though that was not easy. "Why don't you use one of your spears so I can get an idea of what they do?"

"What spears?!" said Molly, now sounding a bit impatient.

"These spears," said Malak.

He held out his hand. A long, heavy spear, with a tip burning and sputtering like a magnesium flare, appeared. Even in the fading daylight of late afternoon that tip was too bright to look at directly with more than a quick glance. Malak raised his arm to a throwing position, and let fly. Perhaps as quickly as a rifle bullet, perhaps just a bit less quickly, it struck one of the furthest targets. The entire board and its supports disappeared in a ball of flame, the sound of the blast reaching them a moment later.

"With that, you better change back and we need to get out of here," said Commander Zero, quickly but calmly. "No sense hanging around and facing awkward questions."

* * *

One of their final briefers was a "Lieutenant Lee" who was described to the team as a "Royal Air Force Intelligence Officer, working with the newly formed OSS." He was unusually tall and had an impressively deep voice. He was very knowledgable of the area where they would carry out the operation.

"Remember, this island you are going to has long been part of Germany," said Lee, summing up and pointing to a large map of northern Germany and the southernmost part of the Baltic Sea. "So has the much larger island of Rügen, just north of it, where the SS base is located. However, Vilm is very isolated, more than you would think from the location and being surrounded by water. It's an eerie place, easy to believe haunted. The whole island was set aside as a hunting preserve for aristocrats more than a century ago. The recent activity there by the Nazis is unprecedented, and a violation of both longstanding law and very old tradition. However, among their elite only Goering protested these actions and he only mildly."

"Nothing unusual about that," said Commander Zero, in a audible mutter. "The Nazis just ignore any law which would prevent them from doing what they want."

"Be that as it may, their activities there attracted the attention of our agents, who alerted British Intelligence. Which ordered further investigation. Which revealed numerous recent changes on the island. That, plus the analysis of Mastermind, told us much of what was going on."

"You've been there," said Aaron.

"Briefly, before the War, yes," said Lee, nodding. "I will provide maps and descriptions of what I remember. Just keep in mind that any or all of that may have been altered by the Nazis, or simply by time."

He looked pointedly at Reynard.

"You need to be careful if you scout in your other form. They shoot foxes for sport, there."

Part Three

They had lunch in the commissary, afterwards. Lieutenant Lee and Aaron sat across from each other. To the confoundment of the other team members, the two men entertained themselves as they ate by conversing in several different languages.

The days following this briefing blurred together in an intense haze of training with little respite. Small wonder that when the opportunity came for a break that some of the members of the commando team took advantage of it. Even if they weren't supposed to.

After supper one evening, Aaron was sitting under a tree, just watching the bombers on the ground at the airfields near their training camp. There were far fewer planes than there had been the day before, and many of the Lancasters and Flying Fortresses and other types were in obvious need of repair. Germany had been hit hard the day before by the Yanks and the night before by the Brits, though Aaron didn't know the specifics. There had been few flights from here today. Tonight German targets would be hit again, but by other units. Those based here had been too damaged to go back out immediately. Replacements for both men and machines were needed.

Aaron's team leader came up beside him, but didn't sit.

"We have some team members who are away from the barracks," Commander Zero told Aaron, quietly. "See if you can locate them and bring them back before they get into too much trouble."

"Any idea where they went?"

"The Yanks at the US air base which is sharing our runways are supposed to be having some sort of soirée this evening, since they aren't flying. Try there first."

"Roger. Who am I looking for?"

"Tallman, Cobber, Molly, Sutter and Reynard are all missing," said Zero. "I assume they're together."

Aaron wasn't surprised that Tallman had gone AWOL. He knew the man had a low tolerance for tedium. The others he didn't know so well. Though he was not surprised to learn that Cobber, Molly, Sutter and Reynard went along with Tallman. The big man could be very persuasive, especially when it came to breaking rules.

A bit of inquiry on the part of Aaron soon revealed that the quintet had "commandeered" a civilian car owned by one of the clerical staff (there was likely some significant monetary compensation involved; Tallman always seemed to have money) for their expedition. Aaron went to a private area and changed to Malak. He flew, invisible, to the cluster of crude huts being used by the recently renamed Army Air Forces (which were generally referred to as the US Air Corps, the changeover in common usage taking time). They were still organizing for the War effort, still underequipped and undermanned, but the disturbances the US personnel caused were already legendary.

Finding the party was easy; it was being held in the Officer's Club. Despite the name it was currently open to all members of the unit.

Though the event was touted as a dance, there were only a few women in attendance. Most of those were female US military members, the local women having already learned to be cautious about such gatherings. Molly, appearing rather exotic in comparison, was therefore all the more popular, with men lined up to dance with her. Of course, there were also a few men dancing with other men. When Aaron arrived Molly was dancing with a private, while Sutter looked on, standing on the edge of the dance floor, stone faced. Tallman was at the bar while Cobber and Reynard were dancing with two of the other women present. To the mild distress of the US servicemen, those two civilian men were much more popular with the women than any of them. Though none there could argue that those two - and Molly - weren't better dancers than any of the actual military personnel at the event. Aaron made a mental note to watch for trouble from that resentment.

Aaron had already realized that Sutter was interested in Molly. As well as that she was interested in him. Aaron assumed that her current activity was intended to provoke jealousy in the man. Another potential source of trouble. Though he had difficulty understanding such social maneuvers, Aaron definitely understood the problems they could cause.

What Aaron also realized that those hosting the dance had already noticed there was something strange going on. Something which might jeopardize the mission. These "civilian guests" who had crashed the party were showing superhuman grace as they danced, including Molly.

The piece of music ended, as did the dance. Aaron approached Tallman. Seeing this, the others from the team moved to join them.

"Time to come back to the camp," he told them, in a low voice.

"C'mon," said Sutter, grinning. "We deserve a break!"

"Yeah!" said Cobber. "We just got here!"

If Tallman had been the one to protest ending the outing Aaron would not have been surprised. The fact that Sutter and Cobber were the ones protesting, and that the others all showed agreement, made him rethink the situation.

"I recall that you're a musician," said Reynard, smirking, as Aaron thought. "Surely you can play the piano."

"Of course I can," said Aaron. "However, I don't think..."

"Please?" said Molly, plaintively. "The guy they have is trying hard, but really isn't up to this."

Aaron sighed, and favored her with a tired smile.

"Well, I'm no Alexander Adams or even a Billy Shears, but I'll give it a go; as the English say."

He walked over to the piano, just as the enthusiastic but only moderately skilled pianist finished a labored rendition of "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag, and Smile, Smile, Smile".

"May I?"

The man rose unsteadily and with a gracious gesture indicated the piano stool. He left behind several empty beer mugs, taking one half-full mug with him.

"Be my guest," he said, with a thick Bronx accent and a bit of slur to his words.

Aaron smiled and bowed slightly to the man, wound the stool down a bit, then sat and began to play. First was "12th Street Rag," performed both well and fast. He actually heard someone ask ironically how many fingers he had. When Aaron finished, someone joked that the keys were smoking. Then came "Beer Barrel Polka" (well, he had spent decades in Chicago by this point) which prompted a somewhat clumsy sing-along. He then played "Funny Little Oom-Pah-Pah," "Ain't We Got Fun?," "Till the Lights of London Shine Again," "The White Cliffs of Dover," "How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm, After They've Seen Paree?" and "If I Could Be With You, One Hour Tonight." Generally alternating upbeat and melancholy pieces. After several more tunes Aaron closed out with Scott Joplin's "Solace: A Mexican Serenade", the full version. All of these were performed from memory, Aaron with his eyes half closed. The last selection was to allow the party to wind down. Much of what Aaron played was not conducive to dancing, but some people tried, anyway. At least everyone had a good time for the last hour and a bit of the party.

Aaron accompanied those from his team to their "commandeered" car, shepherding them without seeming to. They crowded in, three in the back seat. The why of this became obvious when Tallman pulled the keys out of his pocket.

"Aren't you coming?" asked Molly, the only one besides Tallman sitting in the front.

"I flew here; I'll fly back," said Aaron, satisfied that none of the other partygoers were within earshot or watching them. "I haven't been doing enough of that, lately."

"If you're sure," said Sutter, looking doubtful.

"You dance; I fly," said Aaron, looking into the gathering darkness with a smile, appearing more relaxed than they had seen him before. "Same result."

"Suit yourself," said Tallman, who might have been just a bit drunk.

He climbed into the front of the car. The seat was already fully back. He turned on the ignition, set the choke and trod on the starter button.

"Damn Limey cars are all too small!" he grumped, as the engine caught.

Large he might have been, but he had a delicate touch. At least when it came to machines. The car set off smoothly. Aaron watched the taped-over tail lights head for the road back to their training camp. Then he sighed, turned invisible, and let his wings out.

* * *

Malak arrived back at the training camp well before those in the car. He landed in a concealed location between buildings, pulled his wings in, became visible and walked into the front entrance of the barracks. Noting that the place appeared empty, he went on through to his room. To his surprise, there was already someone there. In the bed.

"Well, it's about time you got back," said a sultry, female voice. She turned on the light beside the bed. She was laying, completely without clothing, on top of the covers.

"Who are you?" said Aaron, puzzled. "How did you get on this part of the base? It's restricted."

"Really? You've got a naked, attractive woman in your bed and that's what you're worried about?"

She gestured at the female clothing draped over the chair near the bed. Then smiled.

"Naked and willing."

Aaron might have been in his fifties, by the calendar, but physically he was in his late twenties. However, besides his experience, he also had superhuman willpower. As well as something else.

"I am happily married with three children," he told her, firmly. "I will not betray them."

"I want you," said the woman, sliding lithely off the bed and standing. "You are... attractive. Very attractive. Especially with your wings out."

"You're The Infiltrator," said Aaron, nodding.

"I'm not surprised you figured that out so quickly," she said, smiling and walking slowly towards him. "Your keenness of intellect is part of what makes you attractive. At least to me."

"You are originally female, though this is not your base form," said Aaron, as she put her hands on his shoulders.

"Stop being so analytical," she purred. She kissed him, long and slow. Then pulled back, looking puzzled. "Nothing?"

"Don't underestimate yourself," he said. "However, I have already told you I am committed to another."

"Phooey," she said, stepping back. "Here I am, all hot and bothered, and you aren't interested."

"From past experience, I believe Irving would be both interested and enthusiastic," said Aaron.

"'Irving'?" she said, confused.

"Irving M. Tallman."

"No, it's you I was set on," she said, with a sigh. "I should have known better when I saw a book by Nietzsche on your night stand. In German. With a bookmark over halfway through."

"Surely you are familiar with the concept of Bildung."

"The German ideal of mental and cultural self improvement," she said, with sigh. "I don't think that's what I'm after, here."

Mood broken, she moved back to the bed, and began donning her clothing.

"You were right," she said, as she pulled on her step-ins. "About me being originally female, and this, well, not being the real me. Which is a bit plainer, though not a lot different. How did you know?"

"I knew The Infiltrator was a shapeshifter before I met you," said Aaron, patently ignoring her physical activity. "That worthy is the stereotypical short, fat, tall, thin, bald man with wavy brown hair. No-one is that good at disguise without powers being involved. Just now, when I heard you speak and saw you move as you came towards me, certain mannerisms gave you away. You probably need to watch that."

She finished dressing, and turned to confront him.

"It doesn't bother you that I'm a woman passing as a man to spy for Britain?"

"These are the hands we are given," said Aaron. "Do you really think I care what you are? What's important is who you are. Inside."

"Well, I need to get back to my locker and out of these clothes before the rest of the team returns, or they might ask awkward questions. So, these hands are leaving and soon to be busy."

* * *

The team's last briefing was on the natural history of the flora and fauna of the island. As well as what to expect from it. Their instructor - Professor Janus Causewelle - was a rather dry teacher, but had a great deal of relevant information. After the class was over, the team as usual broke into smaller groups. This to head back to their barracks, each subgroup at its own pace and by their own paths.

Molly had noticed a shift in the way The Infiltrator and Aaron acted towards each other. She wasn't certain what that meant, or even what had changed. Molly sighed, and decided that was their business. They seemed to have settled whatever it was. Just now, The Infiltrator seemed to be trying to make friends with Tallman.

Aaron was a bit surprised to find The Solution moving to join him as the briefing broke up. The man had never in Aaron's experience been very sociable. However, he seemed to have something on his mind.

"I've been thinking about your angelic form," he said, finally.

"You're not alone in that," said Aaron, noncommittally.

"In that form you are the largest creature to fly under its own power since the last of the pterosaurs," said The Solution. "However, while you can fly fast with your wings, you are not nearly as quick as a plane. Yet you are know to be able to travel much faster than any aircraft."

"Only a few people have ever noticed that," said Aaron, mildly surprised. "Well, only a few have mentioned it. Yes, for high-speed propulsion wings are not nearly as effective as propellors. That's why I learned a faster method of movement, years ago. I can fly and glide and even use thermals in my normal flight - heh, 'normal' he says - but in high speed mode I'm as fast as any empowered speedster. Only, since I'm in the air I can take a direct route."

"Ah..." said The Solution, nodding.

They had by now reached the barracks. The Solution, seeming to have had his curiosity satisfied, went inside. However, Aaron had a meeting with Commander Zero and Mastermind. With a bit of a sigh, he altered course to head for that collaboration.

Part Four

At that meeting the three of them put the finishing touches on the plan for the team's activity on the island. Since most of these details had already been worked out - though some were still being kept a secret to Commander Zero and Aaron - this business was completed quickly. There was some time remaining on the clock for their planning session, and they sat idly for a bit. Soon, though, they began a general discussion about the war. While the consensus among the three was that with the US in the war there was no way Germany could win, there was huge disagreement over the details of what might happen. Aaron mostly remained quiet until after the other two had again fallen silent.

"Let's just hope that when this war is over the victors avoid the mistakes made by the victors of the previous war," said Aaron, quietly but with passion.

"Just what do you mean by that?" said Zero, his tone dangerous.

"I mean that not only was the Treaty of Versailles unfair to much of the population of Europe, but the Allies decided to arbitrarily split up lands of nations in multiple parts of the world," said Aaron, with more volume than before but equal feeling. "Then there were the terms forced on Germany. As a gentle answer can turn away wrath, so can being generous towards those you have defeated go a long way towards making them friends instead of hardened enemies. Something Lincoln understood, but which many of those who came after him didn't."

"We have a job to do and it's likely to get dirty," said Commander Zero, sternly. "We can't afford to be gentle with these people. Don't act like you're above this!"

"I am above this," said Aaron, his volume and the anger showing through his normally calm demeanor startling both of them. "We all are. Not just those of us in this group, and not just the empowered, but nearly everyone on Earth. This war should never have started. However, it has started, and now all reasonable people must do whatever they can to end it."

Aaron looked beyond the building's wall, into the distance, his gaze sad.

"We hoped that the world would learn from the first war. As well, many of us empowered hoped to unite the world in a golden age. Which we could have done, except for human greed. Including among the empowered. The 1929 market crash happened because safeguards put in place after the previous crash were removed. Due to them inhibiting speculation. Society keeps making the same mistakes over and over. Small wonder that some of our best and brightest left the planet as the drums of war began again sounding."

"This war was started by unreasonable people," said Zero, pointedly. "We may need to commit unreasonable actions to end it!"

"Which means normally reasonable people acting unreasonably," said Aaron, admitting the point.

"No argument there," said Mastermind, sadly.

"You know what they say," said Aaron, tiredly. "'Every cabbie in Paris has a bad back.'"

"What does that mean?" said Zero, still a bit belligerently but now also confused.

"That we are dealing with a cultural phenomenon," said Aaron, translating. "There may be no easy solution. We might have to literally beat those committing these offenses into submission to make them stop."

"'The German is either at your throat or at your feet,'" said Mastermind, quietly. "The Romans knew that."

* * *

The team was finally declared ready. They were given new, unmarked, dark blue jumpsuits, boots and backpacks, and armed with STEN guns. They had enough supplies for a few days, and enough ammunition for a couple of short engagements. Commander Zero and The Infiltrator were also carrying explosives and incendiaries. Or, rather, they were assigned those. Tallman wound up actually carrying most of that gear. Given his physical strength, the only problem this presented was supplying a backpack big enough and strong enough for him to carry everything he was supposed to bring.

The team took a train to western Scotland - traveling with troops the entire way but in a private car - then rode in an unmarked auto from the station to His Majesty's Naval Base, Clyde, at Faslane on the Gare Loch. On each leg the team members declined all offers of help with their luggage. Partly because even Molly was carrying a surprising amount weight, and partly because much of what they were carrying was... unusual.

At the base they spent two days waiting to ship out, again housed in an isolated barracks building. After the frantic days of training, the team found the forced idleness aggravating. They mostly passed the time talking. About anything, but especially their activities in the War.

"I tried to help out with the Battle of Britain," said Aaron, tiredly, in one of those discussions. "Got to London in late 1940. I downed dozens of planes... but the Germans had hundreds. Then their aircrews started watching for me. After a few close calls I pushed my luck too far. I was badly injured, left unconscious for weeks, which meant I couldn't even heal myself. By the time I woke, Hitler had decided to invade Russia, instead of the United Kingdom, and the Battle of Britain was over."

"So you missed your chance to be a hero," said Reynard, sarcastically, sitting on the other side of the small table in their barracks.

"I missed my chance to help. In that way. I found others."

Exactly what their ride to the island would be was kept secret from the group until just before they departed. Some of them suspected it hadn't been arranged, yet. Aaron half expected that they would go by seaplane, an assumption supported by them being sent to the Royal Navy base. However, when they were taken to the docks their actual transport turned out to be a submarine with an unusual structure on the foredeck.

The team was introduced to the Captain, though only ranks and mission code names were given.

"The M3 was built at the end of the last war and modified decades ago for carrying, launching and retrieving aircraft," the boat's Captain explained. "She's a bit outdated, not suited for modern submarine combat, but can still used for ferrying large cargo. On this mission, she'll carry you and your speedboat. She was put in dry dock when her sister, the M2 was lost in Thirty-two. She was recommissioned in Forty, after Dunkirk, when we needed every ship and boat. She has been modified for extended endurance on batteries, and is very quiet.

"With that hangar we can't go very fast or very deep," the Captain continued, with a nod. "However, we are definitely quiet."

"Looks cramped," said Tallman, understandably wary.

"We won't be aboard long," said Commander Zero, confidently.

* * *

They were actually on board the submarine for several days. This was because after the sub left the safety of the dock it made its way on a cautious path from western Scotland to the waters off the northern German coast. They only surfaced at night, to charge the batteries and refresh their air. Once they were detected by the radar of a British antisubmarine aircraft. The Captain prepared for a crash dive, but the sub's IFF Mk III system cleared it and the plane flew away without even turning on its Leigh light.

This slow trip meant even more idle time for the team. They were only allowed into the fresh air at night, when the submarine's diesel engines were running to charge the batteries. There wasn't even any moonlight, their journey starting just before the new Moon. Unfortunately, the extreme level of caution was necessary for their mission.

* * *

In those close quarters Aaron couldn't help but notice that Tallman was uncharacteristically subdued. He thought at first that this was due to the cramped surroundings, but soon realized there was something else at work. He finally decided to confront the big man over his obvious problem.

"What is eating you?" said Aaron, quietly, when he was able to catch Tallman as alone as they could get in the submarine. Neither needed much sleep; though there were crew members operating the submarine all night, just now only the two of them were in the small galley.

"A good way to put it," said Tallman, his manner just as quiet. "I have tuberculosis. So far, though, it's not causing me any real problem."

"I might be able..."

"No!" snapped Tallman, lunging to his feet, his voice ringing against the steel walls. "No, you don't. Do you always have to leap in when someone is in trouble? No. Sometimes people have to handle things on their own."

"Your choice," said Aaron.

They looked each other in they eye for a moment.

"I need to deal with this on my own. If I survive this mission I might - Might! - look for help. Until then, I'm fine."

He glared at Aaron.

"You hear me? Fine!"

"All right," said Aaron, quietly. "As I said, that's your choice."

* * *

Breakfast the next morning was unremarkable. However, once it was over, boredom again set in for members of the team. Aggravating this was the fact that the small group of commandos was antsy, eager to get out and on with their mission. According to the sub's captain they would be at their destination the next night. All this meant that the commandos were desperately looking for something - anything - to fill the remaining hours. Mostly, this meant talking. The excuse now was that they were getting to know each other better.

"You haven't been in the news much for several years," said Molly quietly to Aaron, as she and the others on the team sat in the mess deck, after the tables had been cleared. This was the only non-busy area aboard large enough for them all to sit together and talk. She lowered her voice even more. "I mean, Malak hasn't."

"I have had occasional problems with... followers," said Aaron, obviously uncomfortable with the topic, also also speaking very quietly. "Cultists who think I think I am truly an angel, as well as opportunists preying on their gullibility. Also, there are situations where my current form is actually better suited. If only because it is less recognizable."

He gave a tired, very aggravated sigh.

"That... veneration I mentioned is likely a large part of the reason I was excommunicated."

"You were excommunicated?!" said Tallman, astounded, causing heads to turn among the few crew members present. "YOU?! Mister 'Live life like you're answerable to God for everything'?!"

"Someone lied to Pope Pius XI in late 1938," said Aaron, sadly and still quietly. "This person told him I was claiming to be an actual angel, and further said I claimed to be passing along the actual Word of God. They even presented falsified evidence of such acts. His Holiness was already busy trying to crack down on people claiming divine authority - including the Nazis - and believed the lies. I suspect whoever convinced the Pope was a Nazi sympathizer, someone who was aware of my words and work against the NSDAP. To be fair, Pope Pius XI and I shared many goals, including an end to antisemitism. However, he was both preoccupied in trying times, and in increasingly poor health.

"As well, both my wife and I were outspoken in supporting expanded roles for women in society, to which Pius XI was opposed."

Since women were an important part of both the British war effort and this specific mission, that such an attitude was not one shared by most of those at the table went unsaid.

* * *

Some of the team members watched the sailors hosting and transporting them for ideas on ways to handle the time. Poker was the diversion of choice for many in the submarine's crew during their off time. Some of the team members even participated.

Tallman didn't, even though he liked to gamble. He claimed the space where most of the card games took place - a narrow aisle between rows of bunks - was too cramped for him. He had a point. However, he may simply have wanted to avoid antagonizing those in charge of their transport. He was an expert at poker, and they were mostly amateurs. Though he definitely wasn't averse to winning.

When Tallman saw Aaron watching one of the crew's poker games from a distance, he gave a short guffaw.

"What?" said Aaron, turning to him.

"It just struck me. You could probably win every poker game you played, with that calm face of yours."

"Why would I do that?" said Aaron, honestly confused.

"You really aren't human," said Tallman, smirking, "are you?"

Aaron had no idea what he meant, or what to say in response.

* * *

Fortunately, the time they had to wait was not only finite, but in the grand scheme of things - even on the human scale - it was short. Finally, the submarine surfaced off the island of Vilm.

Part Five

The lights in the conning tower of the submarine were currently red. This to preserve the night vision of the team of commandos, the crew members guiding the sub and those preparing the small vessel the team would use to reach the shore. Bedsides operating without lights, they were all being very quiet. They were also dressed warmly.

"The water is pretty cold, even this time of year," said the First Mate.

"So don't fall in," said Reynard, wryly.

"Exactly."

Crewmen quickly opened the hangar and made sure the boat inside was in good shape. Working slowly and carefully they pulled the small craft out, unstrapped it from the cradle, lifted it onto the deck, pushed the cradle back in and closed the doors of the hangar.

"Nice to know the crew can heaver with the best of 'em," said Cobber, wryly.

The commando team boarded the smaller boat, and the crew went back into the sub. Then the submarine simply submerged slowly under them until the deck was awash and the boat floated away. There was a quiet rumbling as the Tallman started the engines of their craft. They waved to the captain. He was standing at the top of the conning tower - now all that was showing of the submarine - holding a pair of night glasses, watching the team as they turned their boat and headed towards the island.

Their ride for this final leg of the trip was what was popularly known as a rum runner, from the use of such craft in smuggling alcohol into the US during Prohibition. The small boat was long and lean and low in the water, and normally very fast. They might need that speed when leaving the island, but for now they needed quiet much more. The engines were therefore heavily muffled, and their progress slow.

"Remember where we are with respect to landmarks on the shore," said Commander Zero, pointing into the darkness. "The sub will wait for us, surfacing at Midnight for the next three nights. That last night is our last chance for a ride home. Otherwise, we have to take this boat northwest, threading between Denmark and Sweden, then west as far as the gas will take us. Then just hope we can row the rest of the way to the United Kingdom."

Even in the near total darkness, they could see the white sands of the beach to the south of their intended landfall. They were low on the east side of the island, near the chalk cliffs on the southern part.

Once beached, hauling the boat into the bushes was trivial for those it had carried ashore. Only a few more minutes were needed for the craft to be well concealed and the marks of its progress from water to undergrowth erased.

"Now we need to find a secure place to camp," said Zero, as the team members shouldered their packs. Tallman's was four times the size of any of the others, and obviously stuffed. "Someplace where we can stay all day without being noticed."

However, before they could move far from the hiding place of the boat something moved at high speed across the water, just offshore. Something human. Something which left a rooster-tail of spray in the air.

"Did you see that son of a bitch run?!" yelled Tallman, pointing. "He was going like fuck, right across the water!"

"Language," said Commander Zero, reflexively, most of his attention still on the small bay. "Also, be quiet! I hope we weren't spotted, with him sent to warn someone."

"I could probably catch him," said Aaron, calmly. "However, that would likely attract a lot of attention, and I seriously doubt we were spotted."

"Let 'im go, then," said Commander Zero, nodding. "Probably just coincidence."

"Yeah," said Molly, doubtfully. "He's just out for a Midnight run."

"When better to avoid notice?" said Zero, calmly. "Only people like us out and about, this time of night."

* * *

They stayed away from the trails, paths and roads. Especially the roads, which all appeared new. According to their maps, most of the gravel roads converged eventually to lead to the equally new docks. They knew from aerial reconnaissance photos that one set of docks were on the side of the island facing the German mainland; while another - newer - set was on the north side of this island, facing the larger island of Rügen.

"If our intel is right," said Zero, consulting a map as they walked, "There should be an old hunter's cabin just ahead."

Aaron noticed that Commander Zero didn't bother with a light to read the map. Indeed, there were no artificial lights used during the entire trip, despite most of it being in deep forest on a moonless night. Aaron was impressed; his own night vision was within human limits. His passive sonar allowed him to build a detailed mental map of his surroundings from ambient sounds. However, all of his companions seemed to be at home in near darkness without such an ability. Some faculty Mastermind had chosen for, and not mentioned? Had he perhaps even thought Aaron had it, due to his passive sonar? Also, Commander Zero seemed to know the way without consulting a compass. Did he have some sort of sense of direction?

Regardless of this, the party soon arrived at the hut. Reynard, who had been in his partially foxy form since they got ashore, was in the lead. He stopped, just as they came within sight of the hunter's cabin.

"There's someone been here, recently," whispered Reynard, suddenly alert. "Just one person, but his scent is all over the area. He's probably living here."

"Just one person?" said Commander Zero, in a murmur. "Interesting. Not likely to be a part of the Nazi effort, then, though we should still be careful. He could be a collaborator."

They approached the sole door quietly, put their packs down on either side, then entered quickly. Inside the ratty-looking hut was an equally ratty-looking man, an individual of indeterminate age, who was cleaning a fresh-caught rabbit. The small group seemed to catch him completely by surprise. At first he was frightened at the intrusion. Then confused. The man's eyes went wide as he saw Reynard, and he started speaking loudly. He backed into a corner and dropped to the floor, talking so quickly he might have been babbling. The language sounded like German, but was an odd dialect. Or perhaps the man simply had a thick accent, exaggerated by his alarm.

"I can't understand your palaver," said Commander Zero, with a scowl. "Aaron!"

The man's eyes widened in alarm as the smaller man approached and knelt beside him.

"Easy, friend," said Aaron, quietly and calmly, in perfect German. "Just speak slowly until I can get used to your language."

They conversed for several minutes. Eventually, Aaron nodded and turned to Commander Zero.

"He says he's a native of this island; though I'd say he's actually a poacher from off it. He further says that he has been hiding from the Nazis since they moved in here, a few months ago. He also has a lot of information about what they've been doing. Oh, and he doesn't want to leave. He'll tell us what we want to know, but then just wants us to leave him alone."

"Do you think he's telling the truth?"

"Definitely."

"Then his request is quite acceptable. Proceed."

With Aaron translating and Commander Zero asking questions, they soon had a good idea of both the current layout of the island and what the Germans had been doing there the past few weeks. Not left unsaid was that slave labor had been used for much of the work. That was typical for the Nazis and one more crime on the scales against them.

"There's a lot more going on here than just an empowered training camp," said Sutter, thoughtfully.

"We knew there was an SS base on southern Rügen, just across the channel between that island and this one," said Commander Zero, unfazed. "The operation here is just larger than we thought. Ask him about the empowered training center."

There was more conversation between Aaron and the local man.

"He says there are soldiers - about half SS - guarding a camp near the center of this island. A camp with strange training grounds. He has seen people with powers there. However, he says there are also entire families in the barracks for the camp the training grounds are located near. Including children."

"What?!" said Commander Zero, for once reacting with strong emotion.

"He also says there is some sort of machine being built, deep in the woods, to the northeast of the camp. Among some old ruins. Probably a pagan temple. Perhaps Norse. At least, in his opinion."

"So there's a lot going on here we weren't told about," said Tallman, with a nod.

"Or our trainers just didn't know about," said Sutter, defensively.

"I would bet good money," said The Infiltrator, nodding slowly and thoughtfully, "that whatever is in those ruins is the actual reason for all the Nazi activity on this island. That the training camp and SS base are all to protect what they're doing there. Some of the higher-ups in the Nazi hierarchy are looney for old stuff. Especially if they think there's anything mystical about it."

"You mean that the organizers wanted the training camp and the SS base put in this area to protect whatever they're doing in the ruins," said Zero, now also nodding. "Whatever valid reasons they had for them besides that."

"That could very well be the case," said Aaron.

"According to our briefings," said Molly, "this whole island is a glacial moraine, only about six thousand years old. There can't be anything too old here."

"Regardless of that, we still have to wipe out that camp," said Commander Zero. "We leave no survivors."

"Even if there are women and children there?!" said Sutter.

"We have our orders," said Commander Zero, sternly.

"Mastermind made it clear we aren't a military organization," said Sutter, sounding angry.

"Not in front of the civilian," said Zero, glancing at the poacher. "Aaron, tell him we're leaving, and will leave him alone. Meanwhile, we still need to find a place to spend the night and day. A place away from here."

After a few words from Aaron, the man, looking grateful, warily went back to preparing his meal. The team left the cabin and gathered the packs they had taken off before entering.

"Can you imagine that guy's reaction if it had been Malak instead of Aaron questioning him?" said Tallman, with a quiet laugh.

"None of that changes the fact that there are women and children in the camp," said Sutter, hotly, as they walked.

"We go into that camp and kill everyone there!" exclaimed Tallman, just as hotly. "Make sure there's not another generation to carry on their evil!"

"Think for a moment," said Aaron, earnestly, to the group as a whole but to their leader specifically. "Which would affect their morale more? Which would have the most adverse effect on the Nazi war effort? Committing a criminal act which would likely create martyrs? Or doing something to let them know we could have done that, but that we chose to let them and their wives and children live? WHICH WOULD BE BETTER FOR THE ALLIED WAR EFFORT?"

"You're right," said Commander Zero, after a moment of obviously intense thought. "We let them know we could have killed them and their families, but chose to show mercy. Even if that doesn't make them second-guess their orders, they'll spend the rest of the war worrying about their dependents."

"That's something else," said Aaron, quietly. "Notice how all the empowered gathered here for training are men? Yet empowerment comes equally to men and women."

"The Nazis think women don't belong anywhere near the front lines," said Commander Zero, with a sour expression. "Or in any important capacity, including manufacturing. That woman test pilot of theirs is an anomaly. However, that is irrelevant to our mission."

"Probably," said Aaron, reluctantly.

* * *

Well before dawn, carefully covering their trail, they found a secure location, safely away from any paths and roads. The commandos set up a cold camp, ate, and organized a watch. Most managed to get some sleep.

Late that day, after the Sun set, they performed a scouting mission. Thanks to the information they got from the poacher, they had a good idea of not only the direction to the camp but which paths to take. However, they instead took an indirect route and covered their trail, as they had the night before. Mostly to avoid leading the Nazis back to their informant.

"What's wrong with Commander Zero?" said Tallman, speaking quietly to Aaron as they marched along. "He's as irritated as a giraffe with a sore throat."

"He's a man who appreciates order," said Aaron, in a similar manner. "This mission just keeps getting more complicated and messy."

They eventually found the Nazi empowered camp, in a cleared area. Not only was it guarded, but the perimeter was marked by a barbed wire fence. The nearby training grounds were separate and also guarded and barricaded. The team didn't get close to either location right then. There was too much activity, even after sundown. Commander Zero decided to put off a more detailed examination for the next night. The commandos withdrew to rest and plan. They soon found a small, isolated clearing for their camp.

"It's late," said Commander Zero. "Nearly morning. Let's try to get some sleep. Aaron, you, Cobber and Sutter have first watch. Two hours, then wake Molly, The Solution and Tallman. Then Infiltrator, the Apprentice and Conquistador. Then Reynard and me. Right now the plan is to destroy the training ground a couple of days from now, in the dark of the early morning, before shift change, when the guards will be tired and no-one else is awake."

* * *

"Time for your turn," said Aaron, quietly, as he woke Molly two hours later.

Cobber woke The Solution and Sutter woke Tallman. Then they prepared for their own turn sleeping. Except for Aaron.

"I think I heard something," he told Molly, quietly. "I'll check it out. Probably nothing."

She was a bit spooked when he simply vanished. However, moments later he walked openly back into camp.

"I was right. Just a fox. I don't mean Reynard, either."

"You move very quietly," said Molly, impressed at how he had come into their small, cold camp with no warning.

"Don't need powers for that," said Aaron, smiling a bit. "I used to do a lot of hunting as a youth, with my cousins."

"No offense," said Molly, with a nervous laugh, "but it's hard to imagine you without powers."

Aaron gave her a tired smile and crawled into his sleeping bag.

Part Six

After a quiet if uncomfortable day the team was more than ready for some activity. As they moved into position for their night's work, the commandos were making their way cautiously through the darkness of a heavily wooded section northwest of the camp. However, they soon noticed something in the distance.

The sound came first. They heard the approaching drone of multiple piston engines turning large propellors. Then they heard the sound of many heavy weapons, from nearby, on the ground to their north. Then came the explosions, which produced brief flashes in the air followed by puffs of smoke, the sound of the blasts arriving seconds later. The commandos still could not see what the ground canon at the SS base were shooting at. Soon, though, the antiaircraft fire stopped. The tracers from the machine guns on the bombers began, and finally allowed the members of the commando party to locate the cause of the disturbance. Or rather, causes, as the British bombers shot back against the German night fighters.

"Lancasters and Wellingtons," said Zero, knowledgeably, after watching the show for a few seconds, "with Mosquitos in the lead as pathfinders. Those will find the target and mark it with flares. Don't know where they're going. Maybe to the Heinkel aircraft factory near Rostock, attacking from the north to avoid intercepters and ack-ack. Though that doesn't seem to be working."

"They're fighting something," said Molly, who had the sharpest vision of the group and like most of them could see just fine in the darkness. "Not just Nazi planes, either. Looks like a flying man!"

"Luftjaeger," said Commander Zero, his tone speaking volumes. "I wonder if he's assigned to our target or at the SS base on Rügen Island, or somewhere else nearby. Whatever, he's wreaking havoc on our lads. Doing far more damage than the night-fighters and ack-ack."

"I can stop him," said Aaron, quietly.

"Are you certain you can handle him?" asked Commander Zero, looking over at the American. "You were shot down during the Blitz. This guy's still taking out Allied bombers."

"Luftjaeger started later than I did. He has the benefit of the experiences of both myself and others, including those crewing interceptor aircraft," said Aaron, calmly. "His technique is very different from mine, due to this. For example, he makes slashing strikes during climbs and dives. Each attack does less damage than simply focusing on one aircraft until it falls, as I did. However, he presents much less of a target for retaliatory attacks. Because he is harder to hit, he has been able to continue his actions far longer than I was. He is, though, far less powerful and versatile than I am.

"In short, yes. I can take him."

"Then do so. We'll wait here for you. Just don't let the enemy see you leave or return."

Aaron nodded, transformed to Malak, and vanished.

* * *

Although his side mission was serious, flying was flying. Malak enjoyed the activity, wings working hard as he climbed and accelerated. He switched to his black robes as he evaluated the situation. The planes were going much too fast for him to match speeds with wings alone, and he also had a lot of distance to close. He switched his rapid movement mode. Wings folded to minimal drag configuration, he closed on the bomber formation.

Once close enough he slowed, holding formation above and behind the bombers... and Luftjaeger. In spite of the interference from all the shooting by the bombers, Malak's passive sonar gave him a huge advantage in this environment. He could hear the planes in the dark, of course, but the special mapping ability meant that he also had a very good idea of their positions and movements. He could also hear Luftjaeger, though the Nazi was much quieter. He could not only fly, he had an energy blast attack, which easily gave away his position every time he used it. Which was why he kept moving. Malak was soon close enough to the other flying empowered man to perceive him in detail. Meanwhile, even though not currently invisible, he went unnoticed by the enemy empowered, as well as by the German night fighters and the British bombers.

Malak didn't simply plunge into combat with the flying Nazi, but observed him for several moments. Besides having a flight suit for warmth, Luftjaeger was wearing some type of breathing mask, connected to a backpack by thick hoses. Malak had read that the backpack was a rebreather, which supplied Luftjaeger with pure oxygen to keep him functioning at bomber altitudes. Malak didn't need such assistance; he could adapt to the thin air and even do completely without breathing for several hours. Neither did the lack of warmth bother him.

Malak formulated a plan. He fell back a bit and climbed even higher. Then he formed and threw a spear.

That got Luftjaeger's attention. However, it appeared to do little damage to the target. As in the military evaluation Aaron had read, the other seemed to be protected against physical harm in some way, something besides simply being tough. Luftjaeger looked around but not up. Malak created and threw another spear, his body actually glowing this time. He even switched to his normal, white robes. The man finally looked up, and immediately found Malak. Luftjaeger abruptly changed direction, shooting towards Malak at high speed. Malak dodged, then began climbing.

The two empowered men exchanged attacks as they rose. They also dodged each other's attacks. However, their general progress remained upwards.

Higher and higher they flew. Malak deliberately stayed just out of Luftjaeger's effective range. Taunting him, and occasionally throwing a spear, dodging the other's responding attacks. The world grew round below them. Malak was beginning to think that what he had been told about the Luftjaeger's abilities might be wrong. Then, abruptly, Luftjaeger faltered and fell away. The air this high was simply too thin for him, even breathing pure oxygen.

Ordinarily, Malak would at least have made an effort to catch him. However, not only was this war, but Luftjaeger had a record of committing atrocities against Allied airmen. Including those hanging helpless from parachutes. So instead Malak formed, energized and launched one of his spears. Luftjaeger's special protection had vanished with his consciousness. The spear struck home. The falling figure burst into flames, most likely due to his rebreather being damaged by the attack. Malak knew it was impossible, but he imagined he could hear Luftjaeger screaming as he fell.

The night fighters were gone, likely frightened off by Malak's spears and the loss of Luftjaeger. As well, the bomber formation was now out of range of the guns at the Rügen Island SS base. They would likely be unmolested until reaching whatever their target was.

Malak sighed, and looked up. For a moment, he was tempted to just... keep climbing. However, he instead turned and headed back to the island.

* * *

"We need to head for the training camp right away," said Zero, once Malak - as Aaron - had rejoined them.

"Not the military base?" said Tallman, turning his head towards there.

"There's a proper military commando raid scheduled for that location tomorrow night, remember. We take our cue from the start of that to begin our own operation. Hopefully, that attack will provide a distraction which will aid our own effort, but otherwise we are independent of that enterprise. I don't know when their attack will start. However, I do know we need to get to that training area soonest, since there's not a lot of time left until dawn and we still need to scout the place. Remember, what we have to do is both important, itself, and separate from the raid on the SS base. If we can't perform the mission tomorrow night we'll have time the next night to get our job done and still be able to make our rendezvous."

Making their way through the forest wasn't difficult. However, getting a good view of the training area and the nearby barracks was. The ground around the security fence had been cleared for a good distance, with the debris simply shoved into the forest beyond. This provided plenty of concealment for anyone wishing to approach the camp, but also made moving close enough to see anything very difficult, besides itself obstructing vision. Still, the team persevered.

"Mines on either side of that road, starting just past the near edge of the cleared area," said Molly, quietly, as they paused at the edge of a gravel road which ran from the west to what seemed to be the main entrance of the training grounds. "From there all they way to the guard post."

"We aren't planning to enter here, anyway," said Zero, in a stage whisper. "Okay, by twos, run across to the woods on the other side as I give you the sign."

He moved cautiously to the road, looked both ways, then scampered quickly to the other side. Commander Zero took a moment to look around, then motioned for the first two waiting to join him, timing the action to the movements of the guards on patrol in the fenced- off area. Soon they were all safe in the forest on the other side of the road, and ready to continue.

The members of the raiding party were all careful, but eventually Reynard - to his great embarrassment - bumped a cut-off and piled branch and caused a minor cascade of falling debris. The group froze. A call came from the camp. They all knew enough German to recognize this as a challenge. They stayed quiet. Unfortunately, that was not enough.

A sergeant came up to where the guards were staring at the dark woods. All was currently still, but he had also heard the disturbance. He turned to the junior soldier present.

"Go see what all that noise is," said the sergeant, with an abbreviated gesture towards the woods.

"Yes, sir!" said the private, saluting smartly. Not showing his reluctance. Even though previous disturbances had been attributed to deer or other wildlife, that might not always be the case. However, he followed orders.

As he approached the far edge of the cleared area the private slowed, Kar98k at the ready. The young man crept quietly towards the location of the disturbance, pausing when he was presumably close enough to hear what it was.

"Sing!" hissed The Infiltrator, to Aaron. "Sing something in German, loudly, and like you're drunk!"

Aaron nodded, immediately getting what the other meant. He threw back his head and began. Choosing something he felt German soldiers might sing.

"Es braust ein Ruf wie Donnerhall,
wie Schwertgeklirr und Wogenprall
Zum Rhein, zum Rhein, zum deutschen Rhein,
wer will des Stromes Hüter sein?"

The young guard straightened and returned to the guard post he had left from, smirking.

"Just someone drunk and singing."

"Leave him alone, then," said his superior, with a smirk of his own. "They can sing it off and sleep it off and get written up when they come back, late and hung over, for the morning roll call."

"Told you that would work," said The Infiltrator, quietly, even though he hadn't. "Just give it a couple more verses. Then fade away, like you're falling asleep."

Aaron shrugged and complied.

Soon, all was quiet again. The group moved on.

"That was a good call," said Commander Zero, nodding to The Infiltrator.

"Trust me," the covert agent replied, grinning, "when it comes to getting away with things like that, I'm the expert."

* * *

They at the far side of the training area shortly after that. With a bit of scouting they also found a likely way in. Then they moved back into the woods

They found another clearing and made another cold camp. The following day passed quietly, and they mostly spent it dozing. Though Commander Zero also set up watches again. Then, finally, night came. The team of saboteurs left all their packed gear but their weapons, explosives and incendiary charges behind as they returned to the training area. There they waited, for the raid on the SS base to begin.

* * *

There was a distant booming, and bursts of light reflected off the clouds to the north.

"Here we go," said Commander Zero, looking in that direction. "The raid on the SS base on Rügen has started."

"We need to get into the training grounds fast and destroy them," said Reynard, actually sounding eager.

"Remember, we are also here to try and acquire intelligence about what they're doing, who they're doing it to, and who is doing it," said Commander Zero, firmly. "Commensurate with not leaving signs that we've done so, of course."

"Make it look like a simple hit and run," said Tallman, nodding.

"To review, the intelligence gathering will be the job of The Infiltrator, The Solution and Molly," said Commander Zero. "Reynard and I will plant the charges in the actual training area. The rest of you keep watch. We have a big distraction, and the advantage that Aaron can be invisible. Let's not waste any of that."

They were soon at the fence around the still heavily guarded area.

"They aren't sending nearly as many soldiers to the SS base from this camp as we thought they would," said Commander Zero, quietly but scowling. "Perhaps because they don't have any boats available on this island for crossing the water. That shouldn't hurt our immediate goal, as long as we're careful. It may make things more difficult down the road. Well, nothing for it. Just be extra careful. Come on!"

The team cautiously entered the training grounds through the access they had found earlier. This was a location on the perimeter fence which was well away from any road. They approached quickly and cut through the wire between passes of the guards. Who seemed remarkably unaffected by the distant noises and lights of the attack on the SS base. Perhaps because these soldiers were regular army. There were lights at the training grounds; however, those were concentrated on the perimeter of the area. With the commandos carefully closing the gap they made and otherwise leaving no sign they had entered, the guards had no clues that what they were guarding had been violated.

Working in the deep shadows of the training area, Commander Zero and Reynard moved to plant explosives and incendiaries, as seemed appropriate for the specific target. Aaron kept watch, invisibly, with Tallman and Cobber hidden in reserve among the obstacles of the training course. The Solution, The Infiltrator and Molly entered the sole building, which they expected to be the command center for the training area. To their mild surprise, the door was not alarmed or even locked. Once inside - with the door closed behind them and noting that the window shades were already pulled down - they quickly located both a locked filing cabinet and a safe. While The Solution worked on the filing cabinet, The Infiltrator turned his attention to the safe. Molly was astounded at how easily he opened the combination lock. The trio took some documents from both supposedly secure sources. They then relocked the safe and cabinet, put thermite charges on top of both, activated the clockwork timers and left. Quickly.

Outside, the main demolition team of Commander Zero and Reynard placed incendiary packages on the creosote-treated timbers of the wooden structures and explosives on or in the concrete and steel ones. All of these pieces of equipment were new, with few signs of use. Or indications of what they were used for, at least which could be made out in the dark. The duo set their timers and moved to the designated extraction point, adjacent to where they had penetrated the fence. There, Commander Zero made certain everyone was present. He waited for the next guard patrol to pass, then led their exit from the training grounds.

Without speaking a word, the team got in, did their work, and got back out, never being detected. All the clockwork timers counted down to zero not long after the team reentered the dense woods. With explosions and fires erupting behind them, the group made their escape. Through the eerie, shifting shadows created by the tall flames rising from the wreckage of the training area they ran deeper into the woods beyond. Aaron noted as they set out that they had still used no lights.

* * *

Once back at their meager camp they gathered their packs. However, they also took stock of their prizes

"Jackpot!" said The Infiltrator. He triumphantly held up a folder. "Information on all the empowered who are here on the island!"

"Okay, they're all listed by code names," said Molly, reading over his shoulder as he skimmed through the contents of the folder. "This one sounds particularly ominous. Who is Verrückt?"

"It means insane," said Commander Zero, with a grimace of distaste. "He likes to take people's heads."

"Ugh," said Molly. She leaned back in. "Panzerknacker... Where do they get these names?!"

"Later," said Commander Zero. "We need to move closer to the beach. Then find a secure place where we can get as much sleep as we can, during the day. Tomorrow night, we go back to the sub. Protect that folder!"

"Tomorrow is the last night they'll wait for us," said Tallman, appearing uneasy.

"The time has already passed for tonight," said Commander Zero. "There are few guarantees in this business. However, we should be fine."

Part Seven

The team found a small clearing near the beach, and settled in for a well-deserved rest. They had another uncomfortable day to pass, the enforced idleness weighing heavily on them. To their surprise, though, most managed to get plenty of sleep. They were all tired, even though they all had more than human physical traits. This was largely because of the combined stress of their mission and the relief of accomplishing their mission, rather than because of any actual exertion. Now, they only needed to escape.

As the Sun approached the Western horizon the group made their way to the nearest shore, planning to walk along the beach after dusk to where the boat was hidden. Commander Zero - recognizing that some members of his team were getting antsy about meeting the sub on this last night - planned to have everything ready for their departure ahead of time.

Instead, they quickly pulled back into the woods as they heard someone approaching. An armed patrol of regular German Army troops double-timed it along the beach, right past the hiding place of the commandos. No backpacks for them; they were fitted out for battle. The team members held still until the squad was past. Fortunately, they were not looking for footprints, which would not show on this beach material in the dim light, anyway.

"Looks like they're patrolling the beach pretty heavy," said Tallman, stepping out of the thick growth to get a better look at the backs of the soldiers. "We'd have to work fast to get the boat in the water and out of range of their rifles before they saw us."

"We have quite a bit of time, yet, before the sub surfaces," said Commander Zero. He didn't bother checking his watch. "It'll be much darker then, too."

"Yeah, but they don't look like they're gonna stop any time soon," said Tallman. He quickly moved off the beach and back into the woods. He lowered his voice. "There comes another squad, now!"

The commando group again was unmoving and silent until the hurrying Germans had passed.

"We need something to attract the attention of the guards away from from the beach, then," said Commander Zero, thinking hard and fast. "They're on high alert after last night, and not likely to settle down for a few days. Since we were deliberately avoiding the housing area, luring them there to protect their empowered recruits and those families would put the troops where we're not. With them lured away from here, we can get the boat in the water and head for our rendezvous with the sub."

"I can be very distracting when I want to," said Aaron. He smiled a bit, transformed into Malak, spread his wings and began to glow. "I can also fly out to join you on the way, if I have to."

"I'm not worried about you distracting them. I'm worried about you drawing their fire. Also, what if they send their own empowered against you?"

"I have been flying under my own power for over twenty years," said Malak, confidently. "I have superhuman reflexes and dexterity. I can become intangible, invisible or a combination, and am very tough. I have fought other empowered before. I should be fine."

"Then go," said Commander Zero. "We will - hopefully - meet you later."

* * *

The housing for the Nazi empowered and their families was adjacent to the training area. So close was it that even on this nearly windless night toxic smoke from the still smoldering fires was drifting into it. Though the time was well past sunset, there were still many folks wandering around. People in the housing area - men, women and children - had wet cloths over their lower faces, even indoors. Some of the soldiers were wearing gas masks.

A glowing, winged figure in white robes descended from the darkening heavens and landed on the side of the barracks area facing the training ground. Malak dug his sandals into the bare, compacted dirt, and used his wings to create a wind which blew the smoke away from the barracks. He could sense people arriving behind him, but even the uniformed guards weren't going to shoot an angel in the back. Especially one who was doing something which helped people they were assigned to protect.

After several minutes, the wind finally shifted. Malak was able stop his efforts and turn around.

"I suggest you evacuate until the fire is through," he said, in perfect German. "The fumes from burning creosote are dangerous."

A man lunged at him, moving so quickly that Malak knew he had to be empowered. This was likely the same man the commandos saw running across the water their first night on the island. Malak wasn't there to fight but to distract, so rather than engaging the speedster the angelic figure leaned forward, braced himself and swept his wings around. The resulting blast of air literally lifted the man off his feet and threw him backwards. He landed awkwardly. Malak increased his glow.

"Is that what you do? Attack someone who is trying to help you? Then so be it."

While the witnesses were momentarily stunned, Malak lifted off. He slowly flew straight upwards, until for those on the ground he was nothing more than a glowing dot. Then he vanished.

* * *

Back where the commando team was hiding, they could hear shouting over loudspeakers. In German, telling some of the soldiers - by unit number - to respond to an attack on the camp, as well as recalling more - again by unit number - to the docks on the northern part of Vilm. Most likely, this latter reassignment was in order to take them to the SS base on Rügen to help repel a suspected new group of attackers. The members of the commando team knew that long before anyone from the beach reached either location the need for them would be over. In fact, both needs were already long past. Both groups were more likely being called in to help clean up the results of the previous night's attacks. However, both of these actions were likely sparked by whatever Malak was doing at the barracks. The team members certainly didn't tell the now running German soldiers that they were responding to a diversion.

After waiting a few minutes and seeing no further activity, the saboteurs gave a group sigh of relief. The commandos moved back out onto the beach and resumed their trek to where they had hidden the boat.

However, before they could get very far their progress was again interrupted.

"Look out!" came the shouted warning from Molly.

The team came under attack from two directions. Bullets flew past from ahead of them, and power effects came from behind. What saved them was that both sets of attackers were careful to angle their shots so they presented little danger to their counterparts on the other side of the commando team.

"Into the woods and get under cover!" said Commander Zero, crouched over and running. "Don't let them pin us down on the beach!"

The team faced a mix of SS troops ahead and Nazi empowered behind. Even just the latter outnumbered them. They made it to the woods and took cover, but were indeed pinned down.

"They didn't fall for the diversion!" said Tallman, stating the obvious. "All that was just to lure us out!"

"We have to go on the offensive before the two groups can coordinate!" shouted Commander Zero, checking his STEN. "Hit them both hard!"

This worked better than they had any right to expect. As the commandoes fired their STEN guns in both directions, the two sets of attackers dove for cover. The team took advantage of their initial success to run to the beach and turn in the direction of their initial landing. They made it past the SS troops before those could recover, all the team members being quicker and more agile than normal humans, even combat-hardened troops. Some of the faster of the Nazi empowered tried to cut the team off. However, the commandos had worked together for weeks, and been trained in both armed and unarmed combat. Their opponents had just begun their training, and were used to their powers settling matters. The commandos made quick work of the four enemy empowered who caught up to them.

Unfortunately, this gave another participant time to arrive.

"Verrückt!" yelled Commander Zero, as that individual slammed into the sand ahead of them.

The violent empowered man, smiling, blocked their path. However, Tallman just as quickly stepped in and hit Verrückt hard, startling him. The big man pounded the German, using killing strikes. Tallman wore the stronger, though smaller, man down. His only mistake was hitting him so hard that Verrückt was driven out of reach. Before Tallman could close the distance, Verrückt picked up a boulder from high on the beach and threw it in the general direction of the team. It was headed directly for The Infiltrator. Who was frozen by the sudden threat.

Before any of the others could reach him, Tallman dashed in and knocked the boulder aside. He saved The Infiltrator, but in the process left himself open. Verrückt struck him from behind and stunned Tallman. After that the crazed German had the initiative, and he took good advantage of it.

"This is it," said Commander Zero, his tone determined, as Verrückt straightened from his fallen opponent, grinning maniacally. "All of you, get ready to hit him at once!"

"Is this all you have to send against me?" said Verrückt, in heavily accented English, his tone scornful. He scowled at them, panting hard from his exhertions. "A woman and weak, old men? Why are you looking over there?! I am here!"

"I think you better turn around," said Sutter, with a slight smile.

Verrückt turned just in time to take a wing wrist to the gut as Malak came hurtling in from the ocean, flying just above the waves. The German gave a huge, dramatic grunt, and flew off into the heavy woods. There were multiple sounds of impacts and things breaking. Then silence.

"He appears to be down for the count," said Malak. He had turned his remaining velocity into altitude, which he maintained with lazy wingstrokes as he turned his gaze from the woods to Commander Zero. "Do I follow, to finish him?"

"No. We need to get out of here before anyone else shows up." Commander Zero looked around at his team and sighed. The beach was now clear of enemies, both empowered and SS having left quickly with the arrival of Verrückt. That wouldn't last. "We have made a lot of noise in the past few minutes, and now it's suddenly quiet. That's bound to attract unwanted attention."

"What about..." Sutter gestured at the fallen Tallman.

Malak landed and quickly laid hands on the big man. After a moment he stood, and shook his head.

"I can do nothing more for him."

"Leave him," said Commander Zero. "Unless you want to join him."

"Can we at least... cover him?" said Cobber.

"Yes," said their leader, nodding. "The longer it takes anyone looking for us or Verrückt to find either of them the more time we gain."

They quickly dragged the big man into the woods and covered him with brush.

* * *

At the direction of Commander Zero, they then moved inland, to cut through the woods. This both got them off the beach and reduced the distance they needed to travel. Following their leader's instructions, they moved quickly. They slipped deftly through the heavy undergrowth and not along any existing road or trail. Aaron resumed his wingless form to make his way more easily through the thick growth.

However, they soon found themselves having to divert along a gully, since the far slope was too heavily overgrown for even that group to make quick progress. The strike team had time, with hours to go yet before Midnight, but still they hurried. They'd had enough and more of this island. Following the gully moved them further away from the beach, but still in the general direction the team needed to go.

Then they entered an area of forest punctuated with fallen, worked stones. The ruins they had been told about in their briefings turned out to be more extensive than their informants had thought. As well as stranger. The reduced force of saboteurs slowed to make their way carefully through the ancient wreckage. Not only to avoid attracting the attention of anyone after them with noise, but also because this place universally discomfited them.

"What?" said Commander Zero, softly, as he caught The Solution staring at a carving on a mostly intact wall.

"It's like... one of the false doors in Egyptian temples and tombs. Only... skewed..."

Though the stonework was mostly in ruins, they could see that the parts which still stood had pieces which were cut and placed... oddly. Though the members of the abbreviated team could not have said what was off about the walls and fallen columns, the members of the group of empowered found them unnerving.

"How can all this be here?" said Aaron, baffled. "This whole island is a relatively new thing, formed only..."

"There were several periods during the past million or so years," said The Solution, quickly, as if to refute the strangeness with reason, "when this entire area was both above sea level and free of ice. Though this... construction is likely newer than the most recent such period. There are many archaic stone structures on nearby Rügen. Perhaps the same people built these.

"As for why the ruins were not previously reported, most of this looks as if it were partially cleared only within the past few months or weeks, then left to be recovered by undergrowth. Likely the work was done by Nazi explorers. As if they were searching for... something."

"Maybe," said Cobber. He shivered. "This doesn't feel... normal."

"Got that right," said Molly, with a shiver of her own.

Their feeling of unease grew more intense as they ventured deeper into the overgrown ruins. These were more intact the further they ventured. Eventually the members of the party heard sounds of activity ahead, and saw light. Moving even more quietly and carefully, they soon found the source. Several "scientific types," men in lab coats and their assistants, were working at and around a large, stone pillar which was placed in a cleared area. The inner circle of stone at the center of area had most of the earmarks of a stereotypical pagan altar, except that it was round and flush with the now-bare ground.

The post was of freshly-cut granite, with a bronze brazier on its top. A brazier with flame showing over its rim. That this area had been only recently cleared down to the dirt, with the debris removed from over and around the altar and the area even swept clear was obvious. As was the fact that the ancient-looking brazier had been filled with some flammable liquid and lit, hence the odd flames. The surrounding pillars had also been recently been re-erected, with many of them now propped in place. They, like the new piece in the center and the brazier itself, had something... odd about their proportions. Wiring festooned all of these stoneworks, radiating from a heavy table full of electrical equipment. Batteries on the ground below the table provided power.

Lights had been placed on stands around the inner edge of the circle the pillars formed. There were ladders, jacking gear and even brooms on the ground outside that circle. The intruders fell back a bit, though still keeping the area in sight.

"That smells... foul," said Molly, making a face.

"What are they burning?" said Reynard, who had also caught the scent. "Smells like a charnel house."

"I suspect that is a mixture of animal fat and various herbs," said Aaron. "It's not meant to appeal to the senses. At least, not our senses."

"What is going on here?" hissed Commander Zero. He turned to Aaron, who seemed to be the only one of their small group who knew anything about the ruins and the activity of the Nazis. "What are those men doing and why does this place seem so... wrong?"

"The ancient Greeks explored further than is commonly recognized," said Aaron, quietly.

"You know this for a fact?" said The Solution, who seemed obviously skeptical.

"I've seen it. They found the Mountains of Madness and many other things, long before speculative fiction described them. That was likely one of the reasons their civilization stagnated. They couldn't understand what they found, and neither could they move past it. Many of them went mad thinking too deeply about those things. Though some pursued more conventional knowledge, as if to refute the stranger things they had discovered. Then the Romans came along. Being more pragmatic, they rejected the most esoteric of the Greek discoveries without investigation. Though there is evidence that a temple one Emperor ordered built to honor a deceased lover was actually intended to be a resurrection machine, based on something the Greeks found in their explorations."

"You're babbling," said Commander Zero.

"Perhaps," Aaron admitted.

Part Eight

"The Nazis have sponsored multiple expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic and several mountain ranges," said The Solution, frowning. "Including the Himalayas. Could they have found something here, closer to home?"

"Viking hacksilver," guessed The Infiltrator. Being pragmatic, or perhaps merely hopeful.

"The architecture of these ruins - which the Nazis here are obviously paying a great deal of attention to - remind me of the works of what the Greeks referred to as the Elders," said Aaron. "They were truly ancient, a pre-human culture predating Zeus and the other Olympians and at least the most recent ice age, and maybe all ice ages. Because of their age and their strangeness, they were left out of the myths, except for a few vague and sometimes contradictory references. They were technologically advanced enough that they developed concepts well beyond what even empowered geniuses have come up with so far, which is why the old gods struck them down and removed all - or nearly all - of their works. These advancements included their knowledge of geometry, which was partly non-Euclidean.

"Notice that the geometry of these ruins isn't Euclidian. The style matches nothing made by Man. At least, modern humans. "

"I'll give you that," said The Solution, though reluctantly. "Or part of it. Even in their current state there's something... off about these stones and the way they fit together. That doesn't mean those ruins are... alien. The geometry is obviously weird. Maybe all this was just made at the direction of a madman. Some of those Roman Emperors were... very eccentric."

"Quite possibly," said Aaron, nodding. "However, what I'm saying is that even if these structures were made at the direction of an insane human, long after the Elders died, that the mad human responsible for it was influenced by works which long predated modern humans."

Aaron frowned, obviously thinking hard.

"That construct the Nazis are now focusing on reminds me of... something; I just can't think of what. Perhaps because it is so alien my brain is refusing to remember. Maybe if the ruins around it were completely cleared..."

"You're not seriously suggesting we wait for those Nazi occultists to finish their work, are you?" said The Infiltrator, obviously alarmed.

"No. Actually, they seem to be finished with clearing what they are interested in, and are currently working to restore and possibly modify some essential part of it."

"That post," said Molly, with a shudder. "It... extends beyond any height you can achieve in our world."

"The question is," said Commander Zero, carefully and thoughtfully, "is their work here likely to... do something significant enough that we need to stop them?"

"That I don't know," said Aaron, with a shrug. "I don't know how much longer they'll need to complete what they're doing, either, though they look close. My suggestion is to watch for a while, see if we can determine what they're doing and how long they'll need to finish the work. Notice there are few guards around, mostly just the researchers and a few laborers. The Nazis will likely have diverted troops to the camp and barracks, the SS base on Rügen and the scene of the battle on the beach. If these... researchers are close to some discovery, we should be able to at least damage what they have built before leaving, and still have time to meet the sub."

"That sounds quite workable," said Commander Zero, nodding. "Meanwhile, we watch to see if we can determine what it is they actually are attempting. However, at the first sign of returning troops we quickly do what damage we can and move to our boat."

"Sounds like a plan," said Cobber, though he was obviously uneasy.

* * *

The occultists directing the work and their assistants had stayed behind when the majority of their guards withdrew to the camp in response to the attack of the commandos. However, there were, indeed, still a few guards around, patrolling uneasily. The team was therefore very careful to keep quiet. Fortunately, the guards showed a great reluctance to approach the illuminated area around the pillar, or - conversely - to venture far from it. They kept well clear of the ruins, as well, which restricted their path around the altar.

The soldiers gave no help when the white-robed men and their assistants began assembling additional equipment inside the illuminated circle.

"Those are very strange looking antennae," said The Infiltrator, frowning.

"They also remind me of... something," said Aaron, also frowning. "Can't think of what just now."

"So it's safe to say this isn't some sort of fancy radio station," said Commander Zero, dryly.

"Definitely not," said The Solution. "The Nazis are funding multiple, odd studies, including antigravity. This is likely connected with one of those."

"I just wish I could think of what they remind me of," said Aaron, sounding irritated and desperate. "Not so much in their details but in their overall arrangement. There's something... familiar in that pattern, but I can't identify it."

"They're like the ruins," said Sutter.

"Yes. In both form and... function."

"You remember something now, don't you?" said Molly, as Aaron halted, looking worried.

"Yes. We need to stop them immediately."

They were too late. Even as the team advanced, even as they dealt with the uniformed guards, the researchers - apparently oblivious to the intrusion - finished their construction and threw a master switch. There was a whine from the equipment on the ground with the batteries, and the sound of high voltage moving through wires, and a strange glow from the apparatus on the table. Not just from the tubes of the uncased devices, but from the connected wires and the antenna array. Then an even stranger glow came from the volume above the top of the post. The brazier vanished. The glow above became hollow, showing a bizarre darkness at its center. Though that darkness came... something. Several somethings.

"Oh," said Aaron, stunned at a sudden realization. "That's what they were doing."

"What are those?!" screamed The Solution, clawing at his eyes.

"Don't look!" said Aaron, immediately following his own advice. "Turn away or risk madness!"

Most of those who heard him followed his order. Most. The experimenters, being closer and having worked towards this, mostly did not. Nearly all of them simply died, with horrible screams or even more horrible silences, as they looked upon what they had summoned. Those few who were nearly able to comprehend what came through the portal met the worst fates. All others among the workers and their guards fled, including those soldiers still conscious. Eerie, shimmering lights filled the area, and these threatened the sanity even of those who did look away.

"What... do we do?" shouted Commander Zero, shielding his eyes so he only saw Aaron. Who had shifted to his winged form.

The angelic empowered turned to face the pillar, his eyes closed, his face at first contorted but quickly serene.

"If these... remember me... I may be able to persuade them to leave."

He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and strode forward, eyes still closed. Towards that circle and pillar.

The creatures were difficult to parse, hard to resolve. They were so alien in their form that comprehending their form was almost impossible for nearly all of those observing them. Which was likely a blessing for the observers.

"I apologize for the disturbance," said Malak. loudly. "By the time I realized what their machine was for it was too late to stop it. Those directly responsible are all dead."

One of the strange creatures made odd sounds. These were less like language than what language might have been if created by something which thought in dimensions humans couldn't even imagine.

"Thank you for your forbearance," said Malak. "You have my word their device and all records connected to it will be destroyed."

There were more alien sounds. Then the weird, undulating shapes dove into the dark volume above the post. Malak immediately hurled one of his spears at the stone pillar. The darkness in the air above it flickered and vanished as the pillar simply fell to shards, the explosion from the spear seeming muffled. However, he didn't stop there. With wings and spears, Malak completely trashed the devices on the table and then the diagrams the investigators were using.

Aaron turned to the others as they timidly approached. He was panting and sweating.

"They... don't like to be disturbed," was his only explanation, before he collapsed.

"Well, we will make sure your promise is fulfilled," said Commander Zero, to the fallen winged man, "then we need to get out of here. Not only are we running out of time with the sub, but there will likely be investigators from the base."

* * *

As the others made certain all equipment and records were destroyed, Malak recovered quickly and changed back to Aaron. This was fortunate, as carrying his winged form through the underbrush would have been, at best, difficult. Though he was obviously exhausted he could at least walk this way.

"That... interruption of what the occultists were doing may have been more important than destroying the training grounds," was one of the few things he said, as the team made its quiet way through the woods towards the shore. "Those... creatures might have taken vengeance on the entire world over that disturbance."

"I'm just glad you recovered so quickly," said Commander Zero. He gave Aaron a sick smile. "Dragging you wings and all through this heavy undergrowth is more than I want to think about, just now."

However, as they again approached the beach they again saw SS soldiers.

"I could..." said Aaron, voice barely above a whisper.

"No," said Commander Zero, emphatically but just as quietly. "You go ahead and secure our boat. If we can't get off this island then we're all dead, anyway. We'll watch the soldiers. They may just leave if they don't see anything."

He gave the other a speculative look.

"That is, unless you can make us all invisible."

"No more than one or two at a time. So I would have to make multiple trips. However, I don't think that will be necessary."

The soldiers came to sudden attention and looked down the beach, away from where the boat was hidden. A large figure was walking calmly towards them.

"Tallman!" said Molly. She glanced at Aaron. "Of course! Malak said he couldn't do anything more for him! He must already have been recovering on his own!"

On command from their senior member, the soldiers opened fire. Tallman had little to fear from their rifles, but equally little tolerance to being shot at. He demonstrated that besides being strong and tough he was also fast and agile. He quickly closed the distance to the soldiers and began bodily tossing them into the woods. None landed near the team of saboteurs, but were sent in the another general direction.

The remainder of the troops soon decided that this was not for them. They broke and ran. A bit belatedly, the same individual who had ordered them to fire now ordered a retreat. They ran past the hidden saboteurs, as those Tallman had tossed into the woods regained their feet and joined them. The sand around the big man was littered with dropped weapons and other equipment.

"You horrible little man!" shouted The Infiltrator, as he ran out of the woods. "We thought you were dead!"

"I was badly hurt," said Tallman, as he finished bending the barrel of an MP 40. He tossed it aside to take a hug from The Infiltrator. "You can blame Aaron. He and Commander Zero and I agreed on this ploy ahead of time, knowing I could recover from being seriously injured, but might need a while."

"So you gave it to him," said Cobber, nodding to Commander Zero. "Agreeing to hide the body, knowing it was to protect him while he recovered!"

"Guilty," said Commander Zero, with a slight smile. "Now, we need to get to our boat."

* * *

Fortunately, that was the last delay in their progress. The team found the boat, got it into the water - this time not bothering to hide the tracks they left - and made their slow, quiet way out to where they could already see the conning tower of the sub. Commander Zero used a light on the boat to signal the sub, which answered with a single blink of a hooded lamp.

"Okay, they see us, and it looks like they're surfacing," said Commander Zero, quietly. "We just need
get there, no hurry."

Part Nine

Sutter threw the bow rope to the deck crew of the submarine. Reynard tossed them the stern rope. The sailors held the small boat steady against the sub's hull while the commando team scampered aboard.

Once on the wet foredeck of the sub the commandos were quietly but enthusiastically welcomed by the crew. They were surprised when their rum runner boat was also pulled aboard, and maneuvered onto the cradle and back into the hangar.

"Waste not, want not," said the grinning First Mate, when he saw the members of the commando team were not expecting this. "We thought we'd have to haul you into the conning tower under fire, then crash dive. This is much better."

The members of the commando team were directed trough a deck hatch and down a ladder into the cramped confines of the of the submarine, then into the control room. There they found the Captain taking off his heavy coat, having already handed his night glasses to a rating. Once the crewmen previously on deck were inside and all the hatches confirmed closed the Captain gave the order to submerge.

"Sonar is clear," came the report. "No other screws detected."

"I can't believe we all got out alive," said The Solution, as the submarine descended and started on the long, silent trip home.

"Don't jinx it," said Molly.

"Those... things... in the ruins," said Reynard.

"Try not to think about them," said Aaron, quietly.

"Don't think about any of this mission until we are at the debriefing," said Commander Zero, the voice of experience.

"That's not even the weirdest extradimensional phenomenon we encountered in my days with that group in Chicago," said Aaron, trying to take their minds off the specific events. "By the way, actually meeting your double in an alternate universe is very unlikely. Such close travel requires very fine control. If you don't have fine control you get... that."

Okay, maybe he needed some help getting his mind off those events as well.

As it turned out, that was all he would say about the encounter in the ruins to the rest of the team. In fact, it was the last any of them would say on the subject for a long, long time.

* * *

The Integral hurried down the path towards his hidden boat. Some of the laborers and security personnel knew about this track, but it was an unpaved game and hunter trail, nearly overgrown. None of them knew about the boat. In, fact, he was the only person still alive who did.

The interdimensional gateway project had been his idea, and now it was ruined, something which had taken him over a day to learn. How had the saboteurs even known about it?! Well, he had no illusions about who would be blamed for that project failing. He was more irritated than fearful or angry. Let the others fight to the death for their country, their Führer or each other. He would escape, survive and return to his project - his dream - later.

His thoughts were interrupted as a man stepped onto the trail ahead of him, a large revolver in hand. A Webley .455. Though the two had never met, each knew the other well from photographs and reports. As well as from something else, an odd connection related to their empowered abilities.

Of course he knew I would escape, and to scout for my boat ahead of time, thought The Integral, sourly. However, why would he be here on the island himself?! Especially alone?!

"The end of the line for you," said Mastermind raising the revolver and aiming between the eyes of The Integral.

"You fool!" shouted The Integral, angrily. He was confident he knew the outcome of this encounter. "Kill me and you will die soon after! Our destinies are connected. We both know this!"

"That's something you have never understood," said Mastermind, sadly. "Sacrifice."

He pulled the trigger on his Webley.

* * *

"So, Mastermind has vanished," said Colonel Simmons, summing up after the team finally got back to the shared air base, several days later. He was Mastermind's immediate subordinate, and was tasked with handling all which the man had left behind. However, it seemed that worthy had made a major effort to clean up his messes before vanishing. Lending credence to the hypothesis that he had left deliberately. "The debriefing has been completed, and the mission declared successful. The group created for this special mission has disbanded. However, some members are staying on."

He looked expectantly at Aaron.

"I will be glad to work with you," said the American, "though on a case-by-case basis. In exchange for information to help me with my own goals."

"Fair enough."

* * *

There was far more aftermath, of course. The commando group might have been disbanded, but the members still needed to say their goodbyes. Most of those farewells involved Aaron making certain his teammates were all right, after their experience in the ruins. Of course, one of them had missed that most disturbing part of the mission.

"I think this resurrection even cured my TB!" said Tallman, happily, when Aaron met privately with him.

"You actually look younger," said Aaron, grinning.

"By the way, thank you for not telling them what was actually going on," said Tallman, looking a bit embarrassed.

"An angel telling people that someone was dead but would be resurrected? I think they might have gotten the wrong idea."

The big guy laughed at that.

"So, how are you doing after our little adventure?" said Tallman, uncharacteristically concerned. "I hear you folks had a hard time in the ruins."

"I'm going to settle down with a nice bottle of Armagnac and a good book," said Aaron. "Just to relax, mind you. I'll finish both, then get back to work."

"That bad, eh? Well, good luck."

* * *

One pair had decided to make their future relationship more formal.

"I hear you two have decided to opt out of further commando adventures and get married," said Aaron, smiling as he caught up with the now-inseparable couple. "Can't say I blame you."

"We've done enough," said Molly, firmly.

"We're going away," said Sutter, putting a comforting arm around her. "Molly knows this place, in Puerto Rico, not far from the old Spanish city where she was born but out in the country. It has this big, bowl-shaped valley. We can lie in the bottom of the bowl and watch the stars go by overhead with no interference."

"Good luck," said Aaron.