Prologue/Chapter One
The Stalag Still Stands
Author's Note: This fan fiction is loosely based off of the challenge topic "The Strike Out Challenge", which was issued by 96 Hubbles in 2009 [it is #187 on the Challenges thread on Forum XIIIc, for those interested]. This fan fiction doesn't follow the directions of the challenge to a T, so I suppose it would be better to say that this was inspired by the challenge, rather than saying it is an actual response to it. Also, as mentioned in the summary, this fan fiction has elements that could label it as an alternate universe. At the moment, I'm really not sure what to consider it. One last warning before this author's note becomes longer than the prologue: this contains an original character, whose name I picked out at random.
The war in Europe had officially come to an end earlier that month; a week prior to the victory a team of Russian soldiers, made up of air force servicemen and retired veterans stormed through the gates of Stalag 13. The team, lead by a man only known at the time as Burknov, liberated the camp late one evening.
The men gathered in the camp compound to witness "The Iron Eagle" run out of his quarters like a chicken with his head cut off. Klink desperately tried to convince the leader of the group that he had been a fair and humane commandant the entire time he commanded Stalag 13. Schultz and the other guards joined in with Klink, pleading their cases in hopes of saving their necks. The surrender of Stalag 13 certainly would not be considered "honorable", especially to the members of the "master" race; however, it did give the prisoners one last chance to laugh at their captors - and this time they could not be punished for it.
The Commandant and the guards of the camp were brushed off by Burknov before they were sent to the cooler for the night. The next morning they all would be taken out of camp, their fate unknown.
The men woke up the next morning expecting to be sent home, finally, but that was not the case. That morning the camp gates were closed and were guarded by two Russians who were armed with rifles. The merry atmosphere from the night before had been replaced with a dreadful realization that they thought would only happen in their nightmares: They were not going to be set free - they were still imprisoned at Stalag 13, and this time they were held back by men who were supposed to be on their side.