France and Berlin — October 1940
They had won. But they were not whole.Not their tanks. Not their bodies. Not their thoughts.
The Leibstandarte was transferred to the outskirts of Tours, France.The barracks were spacious, the hangars cold, the beds softer than Gibraltar's stone.But no one slept well.
Falk's Panzer IV underwent full inspection.Reinforced chassis, new turret, recalibrated optics. But it was still theirs.The impact scars weren't completely removed. Falk asked that they weren't.
"That steel has already spoken," he said. "Let it keep speaking."
Konrad slowly returned to duty, still bandaged.Ernst trained in silence.Lukas cleaned every part like it was ritual.Helmut never left the radio, even when no orders came.
One morning, Albrecht came by the hangar.No escort. Just a folder under his arm and that face that no longer needed to explain anything.
"The unit will parade in Berlin."
"And after that?" Falk asked.
Albrecht held his gaze.
"After that comes… something longer. And colder."
He said nothing more.
Berlin — Two weeks later
The streets were a sea of flags.Black, red, and white covered every balcony.Crowds filled the central avenue with one voice.
At 11:00, the engines of the Leibstandarte rumbled over the stone streets.
The Panzers led the way.The infantry followed with precision.Falk led his section, uniform freshly pressed, soul still rusted.
And then the hymn began:
"Wenn alle untreu werden, so bleiben wir doch treu...""Though all may betray, we remain loyal..."
The SS hymn.Not a song.A declaration.
Civilians saluted. Flowers fell on steel.But among Falk's men, there were no smiles.
In front of the Reich Chancellery, Dietrich greeted them with a raised arm.Albrecht, from the side, simply watched.Not the tanks. The eyes.
When Falk looked up at him, Albrecht nodded, just slightly.Not a congratulations… but a warning.
That night, back in the barracks, silence reigned.
They had marched.They had survived.
But all of them knew: that march was not the end of anything.
It was only the rhythm before…the next storm.