AN: I have the greatest amount of respect for Tarantino's work, and I'll try my best to deliver a worthy representation of the characters. I know my way round WW2, which is one of the reason's I've chosen to write this one. Additionally, I'm a native German-speaker, so longer German sentences are translated below. I hope you'll enjoy!
Vienna, Summer 1943
It was way past midnight in the dark streets of Vienna, and two figures were walking a bit unsteadily through deserted streets. One silhouette wore a hat and what looked like an uniform, whereas the other twirled around, letting the skirt she was wearing soar up around her body. They were laughing and happy. As they rounded a corner, they stopped not too far from one of the few street lanterns that were still intact, and the man pressed the woman against a wall. Her face showed in the light, long and full golden hair surrounding it, making her look like an angel. Her eyes glistened bright blue and she licked her full, red lips. She gazed at him longingly and he started kissing her. Passionately, she wrapped her legs around his hips and moaned softly. He then grabbed her throat and made her tilt her head back. In a violent gesture, he licked up her face while his other hand was pushing down her blouse to reveal a soft, full breast. Donny Donowitz swallowed. He and Stiglitz were patrolling this area tonight, and so far it had been quiet… until these two came along. The man whispered something to the woman. Donny shot a questioning look at Stiglitz.
"He asked if she liked it when he was rough to her," the German translated. Donny looked back at the scene; the woman had a dangerous spark in her eyes now. She was pressing herself against the uniformed man like a kitten and whispered something back.
"I do, but you know what I like even more?" Stiglitz translated without taking his eyes off the couple. The man now turned his face to the left, so that the light hit him for the first time. They could make out a stubble beard and a weathered face, scarred on the cheek. Grinning, he shot her a questioning look. She moved quickly, and he grunted in pain. Slowly, he sank to the ground and something glistened in the woman's hand. Her exposed breast had something red on it; blood, Donny figured. The man was now lying on the sidewalk, cursing under his breath. She kicked him so he would lie on his back, lifted her skirt and elegantly sat down on top of him. Seductively, she let the blade run over his cheek and body, stopping above his heart, where she looked him deep in the eye and said with a strong, hatred-filled voice: "Wenn ich zu dir grob sein kann, du mieses Nazi-Schwein!*" With that she thrust the dagger deep into his chest and after flinching one last time, his body went limp. She got up slowly, arranged her blouse, brushed off her skirt, hid the dagger in a holster on her outer thigh and disappeared into the night. Donny stared after her; he was not sure whether this had just really happened or if it was a dream. He turned towards Stiglitz.
"What the fuck just happened?" he asked.
"Looks like we found a real psycho-bitch. One who likes killing Nazis," Stiglitz answered. They exchanged looks before Donny glimpsed back at the corpse under the streetlight. A wide grin appeared on his face.
"Excellent."
Clara woke up the next morning, the sun hitting her face, a huge feeling of accomplishment filling her body. She moaned and got up from bed. On her night desk, the dagger glinted in the bright morning light. She grinned proudly. Heinrich, the one she killed yesterday, was already her 15th Nazi victim. She was slowly getting a reputation, but so far, she was just referred to as the 'Wiener Phantom', because nobody knew that it was in fact a woman killing all those men. After washing and getting dressed, she went down into her little hardware-store and opened up. It had been a tough last years since the beginning of the war, and she was really lucky that her shop had not been destroyed or had gone bankrupt so far, but still: she like her life. After she had everything prepared, she nestled behind the counter and took out 'Mein Kampf' by Adolf Hitler. To a normal customer it had to look convincing, but what they didn't know was that she only used the cover to disguise what she was truly reading. At the moment, it was 'Alice in Wonderland', one of her favourites. The bell above her entrance door rang and two men entered the shop. She lay the book aside and got up. One was rather small, with handsome features and tiny eyes, a dangerous air to himself, whereas the other was tall and slim, a face as beautiful as an Italian statue. They wore SS-Uniforms and approached her.
"Grüß Gott, meine Herren, wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?" she friendly asked how she could help them.
„Tag das Fräulein, wir hätten ein paar Fragen an Sie," the smaller one answered with saying that they had a few questions. His accent was German and Clara felt panic overcome her. Had they found out? She forced herself to remain calm.
"Aber natürlich doch! Wollen Sie meine Papiere sehen?" she asked if they wanted to see her papers. Just then, her sight fell on the larger one's name, woven into his uniform. An unusual thing to have, in fact, she knew only one who was so extravagant; one she had killed a week ago. Her brow shot up when she read the name of her victim on his chest. Something was wrong. She eyed them suspiciously. A lot of Nazis came into her shop; she usually knew them all, especially when she met them at the pubs in the evenings. These two she had never seen before. The smaller one seemed oddly familiar, though. As if she had seen his face before… suddenly, she remembered. They must know who she was. She gasped shortly, before regaining her continence. Instead of going into the back to get her papers, she walked to the front door and closed the shop, switching the sign saying 'OFFEN' to 'GESCHLOSSEN'. She turned around, a devilish grin appearing on her face. The two men eyed her suspiciously.
"Sagen Sie mir bitte die Wahrheit, oder soll ich sie erraten? Herr Stiglitz?" she asked if they would tell her the truth or if she would have to guess. A crooked smile appeared on Hugo's face. Seconds later, he burst into laughter. The guy next to him smiled as well. Clara was confused.
"Ach, Sie sind mir vielleicht eine, Fräulein...?" he chuckled that she was a handful and asked her name.
"Susanne Zotter," she answered.
"Fräulein Zotter, wie wär's, wenn sie mit Wicki und mir einen kleinen Ausflug machen? Wir haben Sie beobachtet, und wir denken, Sie würden sich bei uns wohlfühlen." Stiglitz asked her to come with him and the other one, Wicki; that they had observed her and thought she would like to join them.
"Wer sind 'wir'?" she asked who exactly they were, even though she already suspected the answer.
"We're the Inglorious Basterds," Wicki said with an American accent. "And we're in need of a woman," he added. Clara stood still for a moment, surprised. She had heard of the small group, but never suspected that they would come to Vienna. Finally, she walked to the counter and grabbed a small bag.
"Let's go!" she said resolutely and they left.
They walked through a labyrinth of streets and reached the North of the city, where they disappeared into the Viennese forest by jumping over an unguarded fence. The cities in Austria were supervised, but nevertheless, it was Austria, not Germany, and everything was a bit lazier here, even the soldiers. They marched uphill for another twenty minutes before reaching a clearing with some tents and a couple of men lurking around. Clara immediately made out the one who was probably Aldo the Apache, their leader. They all turned and looked at her.
"Well, well, well, look who we have here. Damn it, boys, she's even more of a Belle than you said. She's perfect. Does she speak English?" Aldo first mused and then asked Wicki.
"I do," Clara answered. Aldo's brow shot up in surprise.
"That's interesting. What nationality are you?"
"I'm Austrian."
"A-ha. Where did you learn English?"
"I had a teacher. Before the war."
"Very interesting, honey," he slowly walked over to her and eyed her up and down. "I'm Aldo Raine, and these are my men, the Basterds. Now, you see, the thing is, we need someone we can trust. We know you're a bit of a psycho when it comes to killin' those Nazi-assholes, but are you a team-player?" he mused.
Clara looked him in the eyes. She was not so sure herself. So far, it had worked out great for her alone. But if she would join them, she probably had to tell the whole story. And she would also have to leave Vienna. That was the most crucial part.
"I am loyal. And I hate Nazis," she simply answered.
"Alright, alright. I see I won't get anything out of you easily. Let's relax. Donny, why don't you bring us some of the Whisky we snickered last week? That is, if any of you left some," he instructed and walked over to where they had placed a few logs in a circle. He sat down and gestured for her to follow him. Clara's eyes were still on Donny, probably the biggest man she had ever seen, and she was impressed. He had a small grin on his face the whole time she had talked to Aldo and his brown eyes were sparkling. He irritated her.
"So, tell me – Susanne, right? I'll call you Susie, sounds more like a decent name: what is your deal? Why do you hate Nazis? Killed your family?" Aldo asked bluntly while taking out a pocket knife and carving a piece of wood he took from his other pocket. They others had stopped staring and were going along their own business.
"No, they didn't kill them, but forced them to flee. And any person of a genuine mind and heart should hate those monsters. What they're doing is just wrong. They're all like sheep," she said angrily. She couldn't understand why Hitler had gained so much power. Aldo looked surprised.
"Then why are you still here?"
"Because I'm loyal, as I've said. And I promised my grandfather on his deathbed," she answered and for a brief second, Aldo could see the pain behind her eyes.
"Very interesting. Ah, thanks Donny," he said when the Whisky arrived. To Clara's surprise, Donny sat down next to her, all the time staring openly. When she stared back, he didn't seem embarrassed or anything. He just looked on with a slight psychopathic look in his eyes. Yes, he really did irritate her. Aldo opened the bottle, took a deep sip and handed it to her. She took it without hesitation and gulped down some of the burning liquid. Vodka was her favourite, but Whisky was nice for a change. Immediately after she had lowered the bottle from her lips, a big hand enclosed hers and snatched the bottle from it. She flinched and found her face only inches away from that Donny guy. Damn it! What was his problem?
"So, where were we?" Aldo continued. "Ah, right. Your motifs. Tell me more about you, right now, I don't really have a lot to chew on, honey."
"I run a small hardware-store in the 5th district of Vienna. Lots of Nazis come and buy stuff, probably think they have a shot with someone like me. I play charming of course, but only as long as I can get them in a dark alley," she said, grinning now. The thought of killing those assholes always cheered her up. She was beginning to question her sanity, but these were war-times. Everyone acted insane.
"How old are you?" Donny interfered. She shot him a surprised look. His voice was deep, yet playful.
"Twenty-four in December. Why does it matter?" she asked irritated.
"Because we don't wanna risk a frikkin kid's life. You don't look that old," Aldo said.
"With make-up I do," she defended her appearance.
"Doesn't matter, we're more interested in your skills anyhow. We need a female to join our group. The whole 'dressing in German uniforms'-thing is getting a bit old. Wicki over there was shot in the shoulder the last time because they suspected something. Clara snorted.
"So you need me as bait? Wow, what a job offer," she mocked sarcastically. She got a soft kick from her right when Donny punched her.
"Let him finish," he instructed her. She stared at him in disbelief. How dare he command her like that!
"Donny, please, the Lady is just sceptical, that's all. There's more to it. We're planning something. And we need a convincing German-speaking lady for it. You interested?" Aldo asked.
"That depends. I can't go too public," she said.
"Why not?" Donny asked.
"Because," she snapped back at him.
"Don't argue, we'll talk about that later. Right now, we need to see whether you're suitable and willing to do it. I ain't forcin' nobody to do stuff they don' wanna do," his southern drawl came back strong.
"What do you have in mind?" Clara asked. It was risky, but she was interested. A smile spread across Aldo's face.
"Omar! Bring them forth!" he shouted at a guy standing on the other end of the clearing. He quickly disappeared and came back shortly after with two German soldiers. They got up and walked into the middle to meet them. When she came closer, Clara recognised one of them. He had been to her store a few times, obviously thinking he had fallen in love with a nice little Aryan girl like her. His eyes widened when he saw her.
"Du kooperierst mit diesen Schweinen? Wie kannst du nur, du Nutte!+" he screamed how on earth she could work with the Basterds and insulted her. Clara reacted instinctively, taking a quick step forward and hitting the kneeling man hard in the face with her right foot.
"Beschimpf mich noch einmal, du Hurenkind, und ich mach dir mehr Luftlöcher als ein Baum Blätter hat," she gave back. Hugo and Wicki laughed amused.
"You've got balls, girl, but we need them alive for now," Aldo came up beside her, a smile on his face. He liked her intensity. Clara turned away from the men and took a few steps back, joining the circle the Basterds had formed. Aldo began pacing up and down in front of the two prisoners, starting off into a great monologue while Wicki translated. He basically told them how crazy his troop was and that they would not make it out alive if they didn't cooperate. He introduced Donny, the Bear Jew – why hadn't Clara recognised him as that before? - and offered their lives in exchange for information. Reinhard, the soldier who Clara knew, was a real pain in the ass. He refused every cooperation and said he'd rather die now than to be shot as a traitor. He also tried to influence the other one, obviously a friend of him, who seemed a bit unsure about what to do. After a few more minutes of insult-exchange, Aldo almost undetectably nodded to Stiglitz, who approached Reinhard from behind and slit his throat before he even knew what was going on. The other prisoner stared at the corpse in shock and began trembling all over. Aldo walked towards Clara and patted her shoulder.
"Time to show us what you can do. Get as much out of him as possible, then do whatever you want," he instructed and left for his tent. The others eyed her expectantly. She quickly weighed her opportunities and decided to go easy on with the scared little fellow. A soothing smile on her face, she stepped up to him and began helping him up while telling him in German that the men were so rough sometimes, but that he did not need to be afraid, she would take care of him. He shot her a thankful smile and she escorted him to the edge of the clearing. On the way, she passed the Bear Jew.
"Be a nice bear and get us some water, will you?" she teased. He grinned at her again and cocked his head.
"Only if I get to watch." Wow, he was one particular nasty kind of psychopath.
"He's afraid of you, he won't tell me anything," Clara said with a sideward glance at the young man, who was looking at Donny with scared eyes. He leaned in closer and, inches from her face, he whispered to her.
"Say pretty please, doll."
Clara was on the brink of exploding, but she didn't wanna blow her chances with the Basterds, so she closed in even more and made big, sad, helpless girly eyes.
"Oh, please, Mr. Bear Jew, come to my aid!" she hushed. He looked surprised, but chuckled as he went off to get what she needed. Clara sat down with the young soldier and they got into talking. He was more than willing to tell her everything, obviously glad to be able to chat to someone not as dangerous as the men. If only he knew...
Surprisingly, Donny brought the water and left again immediately, but she had the feeling that he was just at the other side of the tree, eavesdropping. She talked with Albert, the young man, for a very long time, and she actually began sympathising with him. But she could not let him go, it was too risky. After about half an hour, she shot a dashing smile at him and thanked for his cooperation. He genuinely smiled back. She offered him a hug and he held on tight to her before everything went lifeless. Clara almost felt bad when taking her dagger out of his back.
"I'm impressed. Who knew you could be such a stone cold killer after spending so much time with a man. You're in," Aldo's voice suddenly came from behind a tree where he had witnessed the whole scene. He looked pleased. "Come to my tent in 10 minutes and we'll discuss the details." He vanished. Clara got up and straightened her clothes when someone stepped behind her. Of course it was him. Her anger came back.
She looked up into those dark, glistening eyes and held the stare. To her surprise, he brought one hand up to stroke her cheek. She could feel his hard skin on her delicate one and did not know whether she was disgusted or aroused by what he did.
"I'm gonna make you mine, kitten. Whether you like it or not," he stated. All Clara saw was red and before she even knew what she was about to do, she had hit him straight in the face with her fist, which immediately felt as if it were on fire. He had hardly moved, but when he looked at her again, she saw something dangerous in his face. For the first time, she got a bit afraid.
"Bitch," he said to her.
"Psychopath," she replied and just walked away. This was gonna get interesting.
Translations:
*I like being tough to you, you Nazi-pig!
+You're cooperating with those pigs? How could you, you lousy whore!
AN: So, that's my first outline for the story, I'm gonna be on holiday for a week from now on, and I hope when I get back I'll have some reviews! Please let me know what you guys think! I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!