Chapter 13

"Smart decision." Clark told them in German before taking any weapons they had on them and motioned them to stay put. He noticed that his shoulder was still on fire so he used his hands and smothered it. "Kelex, how come my suit didn't burn or get destroyed when the tank round hit me?"

"The Kryptonian bioelectric aura your body generates that gives you your invulnerability encompasses a field roughly a few millimeters from your skin which at this moment includes your suit. So long as the field remains uninterrupted by outside means, it will remain untarnished and resistant as you are." Kelex explained in a subsonic frequency that only he could hear.

"Good to know so I don't constantly need to get a new one made. But when I was younger my clothes weren't as indestructible as I was. My sleeve got torn up by the tractor blade when I was in high school." Clark pointed out.

"Your invulnerability much like the rest of your abilities will adapt and change with time. By my estimations, the bioelectric aura you produce isn't like your other abilities based on sensory organs or limbs you control but rather involves an biochemical reaction your body produces that will take years if not decades to master fully. Over time however, the field will naturally expand as your powers get stronger. Granted, the field itself has only grown to encompass the layers of clothing you are wearing after several years and my analysis indicates it won't extend much further without significant training." Kelex informed him.

"Good to know. Kelex, keep me informed if anything else happens with my powers I should know about and stick to the subsonic frequency." Clark replied as he stepped on the last rifle. "Clear!"

Alfieri was the first to poke his head out of cover and saw the Panzer Tank with the bent cannon while Clark was standing guard over the tank crew. "Clear!" He shouted and the men got out of their cover to see what he did.

"Totollo, Murray stay here. Keep the bridge secure, wait for Alonso and tend to the wounded. Alfieri, with me." Marslow ordered and he followed him down the bridge.

"You lot, go with them." Kingsley ordered a few soldiers and they followed the American's across the bridge while he helped Webb. He was injured and a little worse for wear but alive. "You still with me, Webb?"

"Kingsley…and to think I thought it'd be jumping out of a plane that'd kill me." Webb remarked and Kingsley chuckled a bit.

"You're not dead yet." Kingsley told him as one of his men helped him patch up Webb as best they could.

Marslow, Alfieri and the others rushed over and kept their guns on the Germans but everyone couldn't help but look at Clark. They had seen bullets bounce of his body, saw him toss grown men with incredible strength, and then take care of a German vehicle convoy but seeing him survive a tank blast and truck explosion was something else. Marslow himself couldn't believe it and there was no blood dripping from his body or a missing limb. There wasn't so much as a scratch on his face. "Elbert…" Marslow called out his name and Clark looked at him. "…you ok?"

"Yeah. I'm ok." Clark assured him.

"How the hell are you ok? You got hit by a tank round and those trucked exploded. How are you not in pieces?" Alfieri asked him.

"Right now, I'm just glad to still be alive. It did sting though." Clark told them, rubbing his chest a bit.

"Stung? Jesus Christ." One of the British paratroopers remarked.

"All right. Move it, Krauts! Move!" Alfieri shouted as the British soldiers ushered them on.

"Er ist ein Monster! Deiser Mann ist nicht normal!" One of the Germans shouted before being pushed forward.

"What'd he say?" Marslow wondered.

"You heard monster." Clark told him. "How are the others?"

"A few casualties and some injured but for the most part, we're alive thanks to you. I'm not sure what would have happened if you weren't here." Marslow told him before holding his hand out. "I'm just glad you came along."

Clark smiled and shook his hand. "Just glad to help."

"AMERICANS!" They heard as they saw some cars and trucks drive up. Alonso arrived with more local men of the village all of whom were armed to a certain degree. Some of the British soldiers were on alert but Totollo and Murray stopped things before an accident happened. "HELP!"

"Alonso, what's going on?" Totollo asked him.

"One of our men spotted the Italian Army coming this way from the north. Coming to the town and port." Alonso managed to say in his panicked state just as Marslow, Clark and the others regrouped with them.

"What's going on?" Marslow asked.

"Italian reinforcements heading this way." Totollo answered.

"Must have rallied and come here after us." Clark suggested.

"Right. How many?" Marslow asked Alonso.

"A lot. Uh…a hundred, maybe two." Alonso answered.

"Tanks?" Totollo asked and they luckily got a head shake in response.

"No, just a lot of men and vehicles." Alonso told them.

"What's going on?" Kingsley wondered.

"An Italian company is coming as reinforcements from the north. Maybe two hundred men with vehicles." Marslow rubbed his forehead and let out a sharp exhale. "Shit."

"What direction are they coming from?" Clark asked Alonso.

"There." Alonso pointed north over the hill that followed the main road leading to the town and port.

"What are you thinking?" Kingsley wondered when Clark took his arm so he could check his watch.

"Landings will start within the hour. Radio into allied command for an ETA on the forces closest to this position then keep the bridge secured. Hopefully, they'll get here soon enough to help secure the town. I'll hold off the reinforcements." Clark told them.

"By yourself?" Kingsley asked him and Clark nodded.

"I can do it and it's the best option. I'm the one who's bulletproof and our objective is to secure this town and bridge for the invasion. If we don't then this drags on. We do this right, then we can end this a lot sooner." Clark said.

"Still don't like the idea of sending you off alone." Kingsley stated.

"Well, no one is sending me if I volunteer. I can hold them off but if something happens and you hear what sounds like me losing…then do what you can." Clark told them and they nodded.

"Keep your head on a swivel, Kal." Marslow pat him on the shoulder. "You pull this off then I'm gonna have the major put you in for a medal."

"I'd settle for some good food." Clark pointed out.

"That I can think we can arrange." Totollo remarked. "Good luck."

"Never been one to believe in luck but I'm all for it now." Clark bid them farewell before running out of the town and following the road to prevent the Italian army from retaking the town.

"All right. Dig in and take stock of weapons and ammo. Murray, radio in to Allied command." Marslow ordered as everyone got to work with Alonso having some of his men help the injured soldiers.

The Italian company of soldier and vehicles was about 4 miles from the town of Syracuse as they were ordered to secure it and the port after reports came in of an allied operation on the island. It consisted of 212 men with several trucks acting as troop carriers and outfitted with machine guns and there were even a few CV33 Tankettes. These were Italian halftrack vehicles of an outdated design compared to their German counterparts but provided additional fire support in this situation. The leader of the company noticed something in the distance and ordered the group to halt before taking a look and saw it was someone walking towards them with his hands raised up like he was surrendering so he ordered his men to bring whoever that was to him.

The soldiers marched up their prisoner at gunpoint with their rifles allowing the commander to see a tall man wearing an unusual uniform that wasn't wear for Allied soldiers since it had a large red S on the chest. He was likely American given that the man had a Colt M1911A1 that his soldier handed to him. "Was there anyone else with him?"

"No, commander. And there was nothing else on him." An Italian soldier told him.

"You're not alone on this island. Where are the rest of the Americans?" The commander asked Clark.

"On behalf of the United States army, I would like to offer you and your men this one chance to stand down and surrender peacefully." Clark told him in Italian and the commander along with some of the men who were close enough to hear started to chuckle. "Do so now and I will ensure that you and your men will not be injured and treated with respect in captivity. Please. I believe we can end this amicably."

"Very funny, American. Very funny. Take him away and continue to the town." The commander ordered and his men nodded. Two of them took Clark by the arms to take him away but he wouldn't budge from his spot. They forcefully tried to yank him but he wouldn't move.

"I was really hoping that we could have just talked this out. Oh well." Clark muttered, grabbing both soldiers by the arm and knocked them into each other before tossing them aside. They flew in the air and landed on the side of the road as the commander took Clark's pistol and aimed it at his head before pulling the trigger. The bullet traveled out of the barrel towards Clark's cheek but the second the bullet hit, instead of going through skin and bone it compressed and bounced off harmlessly to the ground. The commander looked down at the flattened bullet and then at Clark in disbelief while he just looked unamused.

"That's starting to get annoying."

One hour later…

The amphibious landings were underway. The US and British Navy had entered Sicilian waters and a fleet of transport ships made their trip through the high seas of the Sicilian coast filled with the troopers of the American 7th and British 8th army with the Canadian 1st Armored brigade and infantry close behind. The high winds and natural obstacles such as offshore sand barges made things troublesome along with some sporadic artillery fire with some landing ships running aground, going off course or being hit. But enemy resistance was light with no significant enemy force awaiting the Allies at their landings and with the information provided to Allied intelligence via the recon team, they knew where to avoid and where to land.

53,000 men were put ashore by the first wave of ships with vehicles and armor following behind. Some Italian soldiers gathered to try and halt them but any resistance was temporary as the allies pushed inland and captured the Sicilian towns and ports they needed. At the town and port of Syracuse, men of the British 8th army were quick to dock and move in. They were welcome with joy and cheers by the locals and quickly secured the port before moving into the town towards the Ponte Grande bridge where the Captain in charge got an unusual surprise. 175 Italian soldiers and a few Germans who had surrendered and currently were under guard by the recon team, the group of British paratroopers and the local Italian partisans and resistance.

The soldiers were kept under watch while prison arrangements could be made for them but intelligence officers quickly got to work debriefing any cooperative captives. Scouts were sent out into the surrounding area and squads were sent to the outskirts of the town to set up guard posts and checkpoints while communication hubs and operations tents were built in town. The scouts did report trucks and Italian halftracks on the road heading north but were informed that they were destroyed when the Italians tried to launch a counter attack. The second round of ships carrying more men and supplies had arrived in town at that point so plans for taking the rest of the island were under way.

The recon team was meeting with British Major Montgomery who was in command of the Battalions that were gearing up to move out and secure the rest of the area. Once it was secured and more armor had come ashore, they'd move north. The Major was informed that this recon team was responsible for securing the Ponte Grande bridge as well as the intelligence that made their amphibious landings as successful as they were.

"Thanks to you gentlemen, we've secured the town and port of Syracuse. And you'll be happy to hear that we're getting similar reports in all the other major ports and towns on the coast where we landed. Thanks to your information, the first step of this invasion is off to a success. You Yanks pulled it off behind enemy lines and helped my men so you have my thanks for that." He told them and Marslow pat Clark on the back.

"Thank you, sir. Thought we can't take all the credit as…"

"It was a team effort, sir." Clark interrupted Marslow from speaking and his facial expression said not to say anything. "We couldn't have done it without the help of the locals as well. And we do owe them a few trucks that unfortunately we needed to commandeer and were destroyed."

"I'll have some of my men talk to the locals and see about getting them replacements." The Major promised.

"Thank you, sir." Clark replied.

"Well. We're gonna keep this area secured before we push up north. The US 3rd and 7th infantry have secured Gela and Scoglitti with the 2nd armored securing the western sector here under Patton. The Canadian Infantry and armored division are with the rest of the British forces in middle and we've secured the southeastern side of the coast. Nearly the entire southern tip of the island is under allied control. Guess the Italians don't have that much fight in them." The Major sated.

"Looks like we'll be done in a month." Alfieri remarked.

"You gents are more than welcome to stay here for the night. You all deserve a good night's rest and some hot food. Tomorrow, we'll get you heading west and back with the US forces." The Major promised.

"Thank you, sir." Everyone saluted and the Major saluted back before they walked out.

"What was that Elbert? He should know what you did." Totollo told him.

"There's no reason." Clark answered earning chuckles and scoffs from the others.

"No reason? Kal, you're the reason this mission was such a success. Hell, you saved us all from getting killed. The Major deserves to know that. You'll get a medal, be put on newspapers, even film reels." Marslow listed off.

"I didn't do this for the recognition which I don't want. I've never been that comfortable in the spotlight. Besides, this was a team effort. I wouldn't have been as effective without you guys." Clark told them.

"Aww…you're just blowing smoke up our ass." Murray pat Clark on the shoulder. "We're still gonna write up our reports and say you should be put in for a medal."

"That much you deserve for keeping us safe, Kal." Alfieri told him and Clark shrugged.

"Medals for the whole team. And I could use some good food. I've heard great things about Sicilian food and we are near the water so how good is the seafood?" Clark wondered.

"Best there is. I think Alonso can help us with that." Marslow told him as the five walked through town to meet up with Alonso and get some good food. Considering that Alonso had told everyone that the five Americans were the reason for their success and the Italians and Germans being pushed back, they were treated like royalty with the best food and wine Syracuse had to offer.

Line Break xxxxx

Sicily, Italy July 1943

The success of Operation Husky was still far from being declared a win but at the moment it was going well. The American, Canadian, and British forces had successfully landed and secured the town and ports on the southern coast of the island and were now pushing north. Slowly but they were taking ground. With assistance from Naval artillery strikes and air force bombing raids, the Luftwaffe were being suppressed and slowly pushed back.

At the town of San Celeste, a few klicks from the town of Gela in the hills of the Sicilian country, a small group of the American 504th Parachute infantry landed behind enemy lines after their airplane was hit by flak and they flew off course. They would have been killed if it weren't for the local resistance who assisted them and kept them hidden. When Mussolini's soldiers arrived and rounded up the whole town looking for the people helping the Allies, they launched an attack.

The three Americans with the help of the local Italian resistance managed to infiltrate the Italian headquarters in town which was a retrofitted political building and currently defending it from the incoming reinforcements. Private Vito Scaletta was perched up on the second floor balcony using an MG42 to gun down the Italian reinforcements in rapid succession while also blowing up the trucks and transport vehicles they used. The MG42 was a deadly machine gun and Scaletta was displaying its deadly effectiveness against the Italian army but things began to change as a Semovente 75/18 arrived in the square. It was a mobile artillery self-propelled gun platform with a 75 mm cannon and it was moving into the square. Despite the gunfire, the bullets bounced off its armor.

"Shit! They've got artillery! Get inside!" The corporal shouted as Private Scaletta saw the cannon on the Semovente move up and was aimed right at the balcony. He dropped the MG42 and rushed back inside for cover but before the vehicle could fire its round, something large came down from the sky and crashed right on top of it, crumbling the armored mobile artillery platform into junk. Said something was actually Clark in his uniform, complete with his helmet and a new BAR and handgun strapped to his thigh.

Clark leapt out of the artillery wreckage and used his BAR which had its drum magazine attached and fired at the Italian soldiers as he walked through the square to the building. The Italians fired at him but their bullets deflected or broke against his skin. The three Americans and Italian resistance inside the building noticed that they weren't dead so they looked outside and saw the Italians were focused on someone new.

"Who the hell is that guy?" Private Scaletta asked.

"I don't know but he's got their attention. Back him up and resume fire!" The corporal ordered as they reengaged the Italians from the building.

The fighting continued as Clark made his way in front of the building, keeping the Italians focused on him when two Sherman tanks came down the streets and opened fire at the Italians with a third coming up for the rear. Platoons of the 7th army infantry entered the square as Don Calo was using a speaking-trumpet. He was telling the Italians that the Americans were here and if they stood down and surrendered that they would be allowed to live. Normally, in that kind of situation it wouldn't have worked but the head of the Sicilian mob carried a lot of weight on the island despite Mussolini's efforts in destroying the Italian criminal element. The tanks and American soldiers probably helped as well. But just like that, an entire garrison of troops surrendered that day. Why? Because he told them to.

"It's clear!" Clark shouted and the American paratroopers and Italian resistance members slowly came out of the building with their weapons but relaxed when they saw the reinforcements. "You three all right?"

"Yeah, thanks to you." Private Scaletta told him. "Where the hell did you come from?"

"Just passing by. Glad you're all right." Clark told them as the American soldiers organized the Italian soldiers into groups while the rest of the 7th army moved in.

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