Into the Motherland the Germany Army marched...

[youngsoldat.livejournal.com]

Erwin had spent enough time exploring the ship to discover the media library. At first he had spent so much time simply reading books he'd missed or reading new books he'd never seen or heard of before. That had taken time. Then, slowly, his curiosity had turned to visual media. At first he had been amazed and overawed by the pictures produced sixty years in his future - sharp color, focus. Amazing special effects. It all seemed so real to him. His attention had shifted again. His curiosity got the better of him. He began watching old newsreels - German, Russian, American, British - about the war. He'd never worked up the nerve to discover if what Robert had told him about the Jews as true. In a way, he didn't want to know.

Still, he'd eventually reached the end of the war. So he sat, stonefaced, as he watched Germany crumble. When he could, he watched the raw footage. When he couldn't, he watched newsreels. It was depressing in away - to learn how the war would've ended. How the Allies swept over France and the Russians raped and looted their way through Germany. How depressing.

He was watching one of the later German newsreels about Berlin. He sighed softly. Maybe he would never see his homeland again. Maybe that would be for the best. German divided into a communist state and an rump republic? Better then national death, he supposed. He flicked over to another reel of footage. The Battle of Kursk. He hadn't been there, but he'd heard about it. What an utter waste. He leaned forward, watching the black and white footage intently, remembering everything he'd ever done and all that he'd gone through.

Comments

[agyieus.livejournal.com]

Oh boy. Was this awkward. A Nazi as a crewmember? Wait, not all of them were Nazis, he tends to forget that. It's kind of easy to forget when all you really do is blow up their armies.

He crosses his arms, watching the films play across. "...A Nazi or just a soldier, then?"

[youngsoldat.livejournal.com]

Erwin's face contorted for a moment as he takes a step back. He can feel the chill in attitude and he tries to carry himself like the soldier he his. Although really, at this point, he could give a damn about their opinions, "I fought for my country and against the Bolsheviks."

He sounded a bit tired, "I am not a party member. I was a member of the Hitler Youth. If any of that makes me a Nazi, if fighting for my comrades and my country makes me a Nazi, then I suppose I am one. Is there anything else you would like, sir?"

[agyieus.livejournal.com]

Apollo gives him a level stare, then bursts into a broad grin. "Fair enough. I can't blame you for any of that now, can I?" He gestures at the video playing and shakes his head. "You've just got to learn this kind of thing, you know? It seems like every fifth universe I wander to, the Nazis have won."

He looks back at Erwin and ducks his head sheepishly. "Sorry, though. You've got to be getting that question from everyone, right?"

[youngsoldat.livejournal.com]

Erwin looked a bit confused, but he slowly offered a cautious smile, "Well. I've had it asked more then once."

He glanced back at the video screen, "...a universe where we win? Huh."

[agyieus.livejournal.com]

"Sorry, you're probably going to run into it a lot more." He shrugs again and moves to settle into one of the chairs, partially so that he can stop towering over the kid.

"There's tons of them." He pauses, then coughs. "They're not very popular, mind. Hitler tends to commit genocide in nearly every universe I've seen."

[youngsoldat.livejournal.com]

Erwin retook his seat, slumping slightly as Apollo mentioned genocide. He shook his head, "...I didn't believe it when people told me. I know it's true now. But..."

He rubbed at his head with a sigh, "...it makes me wonder about the war. I had a duty to my country."

[agyieus.livejournal.com]

He reaches out and pats the smaller man's shoulder. "No one can blame you for that. I mean, you're from the very early 40s. I'm not sure that anyone had even considered something on that scale before. And, as much as I hate to say it, it's not the last time it's happened."

Apollo leans back in his seat, watching the little black and white soldiers fight their black and white war. "I guess it depends on why you joined up. You weren't a Nazi. You don't seem like the kind of guy who gets off on killing." And Apollo would know, his husband does. "You probably just got into it out of patriotism, right? Can't blame you for that."