"Men, take off your outerwear. Women, strip completely."
How could a voice sound so harsh yet so amused simultaneously?
He pondered over this as he watched the Jews helplessly obey. They stood in a line on the edge of a dock. Below, the clear, blue ocean swayed in an almost hypnotic fashion.
All of nature seemed to mock their current situation. After weeks of continuous rain, today the sun shone brightly. Birds chirped. It nearly brought a smile to his face at how ironic all of it was, but the scene was far too grim to permit such actions, for he knew this scene all too well. Rob them blind; ridicule and ruin their women. Degrade the restrained men who could do naught but watch. Corrupt the children, and then deliver the blessing of death to them all.
Ludwig observed it all silently, his MP '38 held loosely in his hands. He honestly didn't know for who he held more pity: the frightened, defenseless Jews, shaking and naked, or his own men. His disgusting, cowardly team of men. Bloodthirsty martyrs, the Nazis were howling with laughter at the display, taunting the Jews in belligerent German. Ludwig had stopped being shocked by the act years ago. He'd ceased to feel actual sorrow months prior. All he knew anymore was disgust. Pure, violent disgust that began in his abdomen and built up, rising higher. Vengeful disgust that he had to smother and subdue, otherwise they'd hear it in his voice, see it in his eyes, feel it emanating from every step and every breath that he took. He could barely contain it; many times, he contemplated killing them all. Imagined raising his own gun to each of the Nazis' heads and pulling the trigger in a magnificent display of bloody brutality. But those were mere thoughts he'd never act upon. In a way, he was as cowardly as everyone else there.
"Heil!"
Ludwig and the others turned to see the source of the voice, though Ludwig could recognize it from a mile away.
The Nazis raised their right arm rigidly, shouting in unison, "Heil Hitler!" The albino smiled and gave a small military salute in response. "And hail my brother," he replied, sauntering over to Ludwig, "For giving us this beautiful assortment of Jews."
"Beautiful, hm?" Ludwig raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, to which the man just smirked.
"I'm in a good mood today, brother; I've come to join the fun," he wrapped his arm around Ludwig's shoulders, eyeing the Jews hungrily.
Gilbert was a predator. A hunter. And more of a killer than any of the men there would ever be. Remorseless and sanguinary, he viewed war as a sport. Killing, a game. Ludwig held no hate for his brother, nor could he ever. Just mild sadness, with a twinge of sympathy and rejection.
Gilbert strode up to a Nazi, hissing in irritation, "Give me your gun, you idiot!" Once handed the pistol, he went to the right end of the line of Jews and, holding the gun to the first woman's head, gleefully called out, "Time to exterminate~!"
Ludwig inwardly groaned. The Extermination Game was a cruel game Gilbert invented, in which two men would start at opposite ends of a Jew line and shoot them, one by one, in the head. The person in the middle got two bullets. Thankfully, Ludwig never had to participate. But he watched - he always watched.
With another man at the left end of the line, Gilbert grinned and shouted, "Eins! Zwei! Drei!"
One by one, the Jews dropped; as shots rang out loud and clear, blood coated the dock and spilled over into the ocean, so thick that it sat on top of the water instead of sinking or mixing into it. Ludwig stood, transfixed with horror. He could feel his stomach acidify and churn in revulsion at the occurance, and felt as if he was going to be sick.
Spattered with the red substance, Gilbert and the other approached the last victim. He laughed in a nearly demonic way as his brother's eyes widened just a bit.
"Ludwig, come! We will destroy this disgusting beast together!"
He was handed a pistol and pushed toward the Jew by the Nazis, who were laughing endlessly.
She was beautiful. Long, wavy blonde hair framed her small, porcelain-like face. She stared at Ludwig with huge green, hopeless eyes; she'd already given up. And she was only about five years old.
Ludwig held the pistol to her temple but refused to look at her.
"Eins!"
He couldn't believe that he was going to do it; he had never killed a child, and had never wanted to.
"Zwei!"
His once firm grip on the gun faltered as thoughts of doubt ran through his mind. His hand shook slightly. His head held voices that shouted and screeched in opposition.
"Drei!"
The little body held a surprising amount of blood. It felt hot and viscid; sticky, dark red fluid covered the dock and the coat of Ludwig as he stood, looking at the scene in astonishment.
Her body was splayed at odd angles on the dock. Damaged and useless, Ludwig looked away in disgust as he kicked the corpse into the blue water that was waiting below.