BLOODWORTH 3: Blut und Stahl by Tai Goodman (distant reading TXT) 📕

“So many people cared about me. Now half of them are dead. Well guess what. I’m gonna join them. I could solve the problem in so many ways others can imagine. I could move to another country, but I have a feeling the Nazi scum took ‘em over. I could just kill myself. I could become a Nazi like an idiot would. Scratch all that. There’s only one way outta this. And it’s my way.”

A Nazi drove by in a patrol car, eyeballing the position of a trailer parked out in the camp illegally. “Ja, offizier. I have contact on zhe trailer. The punishment for all of zhis is un fine of $1,000, and 2 years in zhe prison for being careless.” The person arrived at the location. Blood splatters and footprints surrounded the trailer.

“I think someone else has been here. Signs of people walking around it are just all over the area. I don’t need backup, not yet.” The man switched off his communication system and grabbed his shotgun, pumping the weapon. The screen on the side of the receiver indicated there were 10 shells loaded into the weapon. He pulled the horizontal handle of his baton, and the end extended revealing a beam of heat and energy. Retracting it, the beam was sheathed. The officer turned on the microphone around his neck, and spoke into the microphone, “Citizen in zhe trailer, you have approximately TEN seconds to exit the trailer and come with me. Resisting will result in harsher punishment.” The officer, Pultzei, laid his shotgun against the mirror of his car door. A blind raised a little bit, then quickly lowered. “I KNOW YOU’RE THERE. COME OUT! NOW!”

Nobody responded. Pultzei approached the trailer, and tugged on the knob… BLAM! The door and Pultzei flew into his car. And out came a man in a strange electronic vest, a digital mask, ramming pads, special shoes, and kneepads. “You done fucked up now, boy. Come on over here so I can fuck you up to where you can’t even BREATHE.” He was Phoenix Leopard.

“Bring it on, ALTE FOTZE," Pultzei screamed, summoning his beam-baton.

Phoenix's wrist-blades extended. The two clashed weapons and Phoenix said, "WHOA! HOLD YER HORSES! There's probably a few readers out there who didn't read the books before this one like an idiot! They must know about the patriot who's going to kill your leader!"

Pultzei leaned his beam forwards on Phoenix's blades. "MASKED TERROR! YOU KILLED MEIN POOR MOTHER, MEIN POOR FATHER! DON'T PRETEND YOU FORGOTTEN!"

Phoenix knocked him backwards and sarcastically said, "Whoa.... Wait.. Who are we talking about? Pretty sure THEY probably don't remember that." 

Pultzei charged forwards, slamming his baton against Phoenix's blades. "YOU BASTARDE! SCHTOP TRYING TO GREASE UP ZHE READERS! ZHIS IS UN SERIOUS FIGHT FOR GROWN MEN! SON OF UN BITCH!"

Then Phoenix was knocked backwards. "THAT'S THE TICKET!"

Phoenix then knocked Pultzei's beam-baton out of his grasp. "NEIN!" Pultzei screamed. And then Phoenix sliced off Pultzei's head from his neck. "I WAS EXPECTING SOMETHING BETTER THAN THAT, BOY. NEXT TIME, DON'T GO TESTING MY METTLE!" 

 "Montana's a big old state full of wildlife. Pretty good place to destroy trees and put a base inside of. Sounds like something Adolf would do." Phoenix sped down the highway and into a city. The place was blooming with tall metallically built structures, glowing neon colors, electronics, and activity. He stopped at a red light and looked around. "Ear itches. Been like that for a little while." Phoenix scratched behind his ear. Then all of a sudden, Peter showed up out of nowhere right besides Phoenix. "Hey there, buddy. How's it been? Been a while since we spoke... You alright?"

"Peter? How'd you get here and find me?"

"Oh, I'm not here." Despite what he said, Peter was visibly standing to Phoenix's right. Blue collared button-up shirt, beige working pants, a black leather belt, and boots. "You trying to fuck with me, man? Or are you in my head." Peter shook his head and responded, "Neither- Phoenix, what's gotten into you, man?"

"Nothing. It's just been lonely for a while." Peter nodded and showed his empathy, "I can relate to that. All those years in the gun store after we retired from the army." Cars honking behind him roared over their conversation. "I think you better get going." Phoenix nodded and drove off. But when he looked back, Peter had disappeared into thin air. "Great, Phoenix. Now you're seeing hallucinations and hearing random shit. That's what you get for sitting in a trailer for weeks." 

Phoenix watched metro systems along sky-wire, traveling to and fro. "Whose idea was it to put subways in the sky?" 

Phoenix stopped by a bar encompassed and filled with Nazis. A security guard with a device outside had a machine in his hand, and when Phoenix arrived at the front...

"Identifikation, bitte?" the bouncer asked. Phoenix rolled his eyes and said, "You kidding me?" 

"Sir, I am sorry, but have you seen modern day films and movies? Zhe makeup. Zhe makeup is so.. convincing. So ve have to be on vatch for teenage miscreants, if zhey are clever enough..." 

Phoenix inserted his card without breaking eye contact with the bouncer. "Go to hell." He entered the bar. Several drunken Nazis and white men surrounded him when he entered. A drunk man bumped into him in the middle of a brawl. "MOTHERFUCKER! YOU FUCK MY WIFE AGAIN- I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!"

Two bouncers grabbed the man by his shoulders and hauled him outside. Phoenix continued, placing himself on a stool by the bar. "Guten tag. Vhat vill you be having, sir?"

"Got anything strong? To pump up the influence?" 

He laughed and said, "Vhat, you looking for trouble sir? No, I'm kidding- I'm kidding... Of course. We have un drink named 'Rosa Wut.' If you do not understand, it means Pink Fury. Fighters usually come by and purchase it before a match." Phoenix laid a dollar on the counter. "Pint, please." 

A hole opened up in the table, and a glass of Pink Fury emerged from the hole. "Damn... It's actually pink." The icy drink was glowing pink. Sugar was around the rim. Phoenix tasted a sip of the alcohol, and placed the pint back on the counter, coughing. "GOD- What in the fuck is this shit?"

"Vodka, wine, beer, mixed with pomegranate, watermelon, and a hint of liquified tobacco. It is strong, I assure you." Phoenix watched Hans walk into the bar and sit down besides him. "I heard you ordered a 'Pink Fury' for zhe first time. Strong drink, Herr Phoenix?"

"Tastes like straight up fucking vinegar."

Hans didn't laugh, but instead leaned in on Phoenix. "People may say that. But I'm just checking in on you... I must go. Auf wiedersehen, Herr Phoenix." Hans walked out while a man was holding the door open for a bunch of his friends. Then a Kommandant entered the bar and said, "ATTENTION! ALL ATTENTION TO YOUR KOMMANDANT! Drinks are on me! If people have paid money, return it to zhem." Phoenix received his dollar back, and he popped his neck in place. He downed his drink, and the field of his vision was surrounded by pink color. "Whoa..."

"Feel like doing something stupid, Phoenix? Now's the time to do it."

Everybody noticed Phoenix's muscles glowing yellow. A man said, "Dude, you alright?" 

Phoenix answered, "NO." Phoenix donned his mask.

Phoenix pulled out the revolver he stole from the armory and aimed it western style. "BITCH!" 

The revolver blew a huge hole through the Kommandant's face. People surrounding grabbed bar furniture and other instruments. "You think pieces of shit made outta wood'll kill me?" he yelled. A customer broke a stool against Phoenix's back, causing Phoenix to turn around and fire a bullet through the customer's head. A Nazi cocked his submachine gun and fired in Phoenix's direction. "Duck."

Phoenix crouched behind the bar counter. He was facing the entrance. The bouncer entered with a switchblade. "DUMMKOPF!" 

Phoenix fired a shot and hit the bouncer in the shoulder. He staggered backwards and continued moving forwards. At the time when Phoenix's thumb pulled the hammer backwards, he fired and killed the bouncer with a headshot. 

The Nazi with the firearm started moving around the counter. Phoenix stole a nearby chair and threw it in front of the Nazi's firing sight. Phoenix charged forwards, and thrusted himself through the Nazi's entire body, covering him in guts and blood. A Nazi pulled out two of his knives, ready to take on Phoenix. Phoenix fired one shot through the Nazi's throat, and rotated himself, shooting another man in his face. The weapon spoke, "AMMUNITION DEPLETED." 

Phoenix dropped the revolver on the ground besides his boot. "Fuck it, I'll beat everyone of you with my damn FISTS!" 

Two Nazis flipped over a table and pulled out their firearms. "Fertig, los!"

Once they aimed over the table, a stool bolted into the left Nazi's head, decapitating him. "AHH!" the right Nazi screamed, firing his gun at Phoenix. Phoenix took two bullets to the chest, and approached the man with haste. "RRRGH!" he grunted, punching the enemy in the face twice, leaving a devastating and bloody mark. A grenade landed on a table besides Phoenix's side. "Think fast."

Phoenix threw the grenade over the middle of the bar, having it land in front of a group of people. 

"SCHISSE!"

"NEIN!"

They all ducked behind cover, right then the grenade exploded. The second story above collapsed over the entrance, creating a barricade. "Find another way out Phoenix. Get them gears in your brain turning."

Phoenix was grappled by a buffed and seemingly muscular Nazi. "Du kommst nicht weg." Phoenix spat on the side of his cheek and sputtered, "Fuck you." 

Phoenix rolled over onto the man, and punched him once with his left fist. "Left hook." Then with his right fist. "Right hook." Phoenix clasped his hands together, slamming them both on his face. Two more Nazis resisted and tried to escape the bar by moving the rubble. "Komm schon! Hilf mir, dieses Stück Holz zu bewegen!"

They were throwing pieces of wood out of the way. Phoenix interrupted by saying, "Want help?" 

The two turned around scared at a masked figure. "SCHISSE-" 

Phoenix tossed one onto a billiards table, launching each ball in different directions. A lit holographic indicator spoke, "SCRATCH." The Nazi straightened himself up, looking up from the table as Phoenix inserted both of his thumbs into the Nazi's eyeholes, and crushed the bone within the skull. "Nein..." The Nazi pulled the cue ball out of the corner pocket and threw it at Phoenix. The ball hit Phoenix in the side of the head with great force. 

"ARRGH!"

Phoenix looked down and saw the bloody cue ball. "Oh you're gonna get it now!"

Phoenix hurled the cue ball towards the Nazi. With a pool cue, the Nazi swatted the ball away from him just in time. "Alright, gonna play hard to get." A big scary glowing red grin appeared on his mask. The Nazi threw another ball and his combat knife at Phoenix, missing both times. Phoenix caught the knife by its blade between the valley of his two fingers, and reflected it back at the Nazi's throat. "How does it feel now?"

Before he left, Phoenix walked behind the counter and noticed the bartender still present. "Hey, buddy, where's the Pink Fury at. I'm gonna take some for the