I realize this has been done a million times before, but I was writing some drabbles based off one-word prompts, and the drabbles each turned into a separate chapter for this.
Hope you like it!
I own nothing but Adalyn.
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They've been moving through Germany swiftly and silently, coming upon Nazi groups and murdering them all. Their name spreads through Germany like wildfire. Basterds, the people whisper. Basterds, Hans Landa's men tell him. In the trees, in the rain, in the bitter wind: Basterds.
They ambush Nazis in the woods (after a while, one would think the Nazis would get smarter, travel along busy roads and through towns; they never do), and here they are again, crouched in ditches running parallel to the road. Aldo is staring up the road, the familiar sound of a car puttering up making him grin.
"Let's get crackin', boys," he calls. He steps out into the middle of the road, knowing he'll catch the car's attention (and knowing it'll be gunned down before it will ever reach him).
He sends Donny to drag out any survivors. There are 3--an aging Nazi, a defiant young man, and a terrified teenage girl. The young man cracks--anyone could have predicted that--and they send him away with a fresh swastika bleeding on his forehead. The aging Nazi they kill. The girl, however, presents a bigger problem.
She looks no more than 17. Her eyes are dark, her short bob of brown hair reaching just past her ears.
"She doesn't look like a Nazi," Wicki says to Aldo. They both eye her critically. Donny is standing near her, his bat glistening with fresh blood.
"Donny!" Aldo barks. "What d'you think?"
Donny tips her chin upward with his bat--when he takes it from her skin, smudges of blood are left behind. She says nothing; her eyes are huge with fear.
"Nazi spy," he says finally. Aldo nods, trusting Donny's word, and leans back impassively. The Basterds all watch in surprise as Donny walks toward the girl; Utivich looks horrified.
"Lieutenant," Wicki hisses fervently, face inches away from Aldo's. "We don't kill children."
"A Nazi's a Nazi," Aldo replies coldly, watching Donny raise his bat.
The girl screws her eyes shut, dips her head forward in a quiet sort of surrender. As she wilts, a glimmer of silver slips from her shirt collar, catching the light. Aldo narrows his eyes at it. Just as Donny is preparing to bring his bat down, he recognizes the small charm.
The star of David.
"Donowitz!" He yells, an almost panicked edge to his voice bringing Donny to a screeching halt. The girl shudderingly inhales.
Aldo stalks over to her, his boots crunching across the dead leaves. She doesn't open her eyes until he's standing right before her. He kneels and takes the charm in his hand, examining it critically.
"You a Jew?" He asks her harshly. He's more angry at his own slip-up than at her; she flinches anyways. After a moment she nods.
He stares at her, at her trembling chin, at her eyelashes matted with tears. "D'you talk?" He asks. She glances up at him, purses her lips together, and shakes her head.
Aldo curses inwardly, sweeps away from her. She hugs herself, a thin pile of sadness on the leafy floor. The Basterds watch her; Aldo doesn't need to be looking at them to know what lurks beneath their eyes.
"How far away's the next town?" He asks Wicki in hushed tones. The man shrugs.
"Bout 3 days travel," he replies. Aldo casts a look at the dejected girl. She has her head bowed; he can see her shaking from here.
"Well, fuck," he groans, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Guess we gotta take her sorry ass with us, to make sure she ain't gettin' in any more trouble."
Wicki nods. He doesn't need to tell the lieutenant that the only reason they're taking the girl is because Aldo wants to make amends for the fact he almost killed her. Aldo already knows.