This final chapter serves as an epilogue for the alternate universe created by this fanfic, as well as one for the behind the scenes action that took place with Azula. Because connection with our actors is presently offline, the end of the main story shall follow first.
Chapter 25:
To End all Wars
The quick encirclement of Berlin by both Allied and Soviet forces led to many of high ranking Nazi officials being subdued before they could escape. War criminals that should've escaped to South America, like Adolf Eichmann and Franz Stangl would find themselves alongside others like Goering at the trial of Nuremberg. Smaller lesser known Nazi criminals' managed to slip nonetheless but the many public figures of the Reich were unable to reach the many ratlines that would see them safety. Instead they and their fellow defendants would face the war crimes charges Allied powers placed upon them such as starting the war and crimes against humanity. Goering initially tried to take charge of the defendants himself, but Himmler clearly outranked him. Where Goering's strategy was to try and shift blame to Allies for their crimes or deny involvement Himmler considered such an act disgraceful. He was far too proud of what they had accomplished to ever distance himself entirely. Himmler convinced many of the Nazis to speak of how the execution of the war and the genocide of the lesser races were a necessary action done out of love for the people of Germany. The same line he had once took up with his SS Officers at his speech in Possen.
Himmler had no illusions that this would condemn them all to death, but he didn't care as he honestly thought it would allow their memory to be remembered fondly by later generations as people who were willing to do what the weaker nations were not. Himmler overestimated his oratory skills after his testimony on the stand papers called him a lunatic, the German public felt disgusted he was ever within their government and that he confessed to the mass murder of Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals and communists and also called it a good thing, if not a sacred duty. His attempt to prove Jewish inferiority through occult and pseudo-sciences was seen as both boring and ludicrous at the same time. He had tried to remain composed on the stand, but under cross examination he lost his cool with the American Prosecutor, calling him several racial terms before throwing his translator earphone at him in disgust.
Other Nazi defendants were more inclined to tone down their testimonies afterwards, but they all came off rather poorly nonetheless excluding Speer who had decided to confess to his crimes and denounce several of his colleagues, like Mengele who had earlier tried to justify his actions as advancing science. The German doctor also broke down on the stand several times into a blubbering mass of tears at his life's work being forever ended, showing no remorse over the people he had killed. Eichmann's testimony was the least enthusiastic of all them, he seemed incredibly bored throughout the proceedings, even more so than Goering. His testimony on the stand was likewise rather plain and matter of fact. He is strangely the most normal of the defendants excluding Speer who felt guilty, unlike Eichmann who felt neither pride nor guilt in his work. History played out like it originally did with all the defendants being sentenced to death. While Goering accomplished committing suicide, Himmler and Mengele were brought to the gallows to be hung.
The fallout of the trial was slow to surface, but effective. Coupled with Himmler's confession, the massive amounts of evidence brought to bear and the footage of Hitler's own confession taken by Soviet cameramen before he killed himself, Neo-Nazi groups did not surface in great numbers and the Holocaust denial movement that should've surfaced later in the Twentieth century was weaker and less profound. Many world leaders in the Middle East who otherwise would've used a topic as a talking point instead backed away from it and thus the conspiracy never achieved the universal media, internet or literary attention as it originally did. A more immediate effect of the trials was a considerable amount of added historical knowledge of the inner workings of the Third Reich at an earlier date.
The Soviet and Allied agreement to jointly take Berlin together was publically seen as the Russians asking for aid and the Allies generously offering it to them. In reality the fact Stalin had come to the Allies to ask for help, when originally Berlin had been promised to him at the Allied Conference in Yalta, gave the Allies considerable pull. After a series of intense negotiations Churchill and Truman would only agree to sending Allied soldiers into the fray if the Russians rescinded control of certain Eastern Europe territories like Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. Also, Russia would have to rescind its control of occupied East Germany when the Allies saw fit, although they could retain a presence in East Berlin for a time.
Stalin wouldn't have accepted the terms under normal circumstances, but the sheer amount of Nazi super weapons being thrown at his troops were enough to make him concerned about dragging the conflict out further before the Allies would just take Berlin by themselves. At least this way he would save face and accomplish the task he had set out to do when the Germans had invaded in 41. He needed to give his people their revenge, even if it meant sacrificing his potential empire.
At war's end, most of Eastern Europe was given back its independence. Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia were never forced into serving as an extended buffer for Russia against the Western Powers. The countries that Russia retained, Lithuania and Romania, entered into a short-lived alliance called "The Bucharest Act" that only lasted until 1953 and Stalin's Death. Stalin himself would die never seeing his wish to see East Europe under his iron grasp realised. His tyranny never spread beyond Russia's borders and Soviet Union, while still a Super Power, did not have anywhere near the political pull it did until after he died. He was unable to attempt to starve out West Berlin or threaten its occupying powers as he lacked the allies in close proximity to do so and would've immediately led to the end of his own occupation of East Germany as per the agreement. When Stalin did die, East Germany was folded back into West Germany. East Berlin followed shortly after.
Stalin lost political power within his own government as well. While he was praised for vanquishing the Fascists the fact he had went to the Allies for help and kowtowed to their wishes was seen as a weakness. As he slowly lost power to the actual communist party members, reformists arose to fill the gap. After his death, they took full power and proceeded to lead the USSR down a different path.
Since the end of the Second World War, the joint invasion and defeat of Berlin was the start of a stronger more lasting friendship between the United States and the Soviet Republics. It was a strange relationship born out of idea that it was their governments and armies working in tangent that had stopped the Nazis and that greater things could be accomplished if they made such a partnership last. With reformists taking more power away from Stalin and his hardliners week by week, more and more Americans warmed to the idea, excluding staunch Anti-Communists of course. The first reveal of this new found alliance between the superpowers was during the War in Korea. When China joined the fight on the side of the North Koreans and threatened to push the UN forces out of the country completely, Russian tanks massed on the Chinese border. Official reasons for the action were declared a small military exercise that was nothing to concern the Chinese. Reformists within the Communist party gave away the true intention in secret however. They warned China that any further action against the UN forces would result in their own attack into Northern China, despite the fact they were a Communist state. Together they mediated between the Chinese and UN powers. The Chinese pulled out of the country and North Korea itself lost a great deal of territory. Nonetheless the war was over quickly and the oppressive state of North Korea had shrunk considerably. General MacArthur was still not happy that he had not gotten into China and that the Russians had apparently ended his little foray. It was a mixed blessing though as he had just barely dodged being fired by Truman. He would remain in Japan, running its occupation for the remainder of his military career never partaking again in another major battle.
After that the Soviet/American relationship became more open. To reconcile America's new friendship with a communist nation and vice versa both governments ran certain PSAs and propaganda films explaining why they were allies despite being so different. For America, they explained that the communists in Russia weren't as bad as others saying that were no longer as repressive and seeking to change for the better. Reformists in Russia explained that there were some virtues in capitalist dogma and that America had recently been giving its workers more rights. There would be no Red Scare... concerning Russians. Chinese Communists were still looked upon with ire and took their place as the kind of freedom hating evil that must be stomped out within America. This made Chinese immigrants more suspect, before long Chinese and other Asian immigrants allied themselves with the civil rights movement in order to fight against what they saw as discrimination against them.
The Reformists in Russia were less compelled to spread the communist revolution than more conservative hardliners within the party. They did not seek to hinder such revolutions but did little to actually help them, believing they could not endorse their agenda on others and that ultimately it was the will of the people to decide if they wanted a communist government or not. A prime example was the attempt coup of Fidel Castro which failed because it was improperly funded by outside forces. However, the coup led to Russia and America realising how volatile the situation on the Island had become and pressured President Batista to give in to Democratic reforms before more blood was shed. Likewise, Northern Vietnam did not receive as much support as they should have from their Russian comrades. In fact, Russia's reformist government eventually allied itself with the Americans in the war and put considerable resources into motion that led to the destruction of the Ho Chi Ming trail by covert Russian Spetznaz forces and in training the South Vietnamese military to better defend itself. America was able to pull out of the country in 1967, earlier than expected as the South Vietnamese were able by that point with the combined aid to fend for themselves. Eventually peace negotiations between it and its Northern Neighbour were delegated and a DMZ was formed. For a while peace was maintained as the two countries held onto their desired territory. Eventually, an invasion from Cambodia left the North Vietnamese weakened significantly and their army in tatters. This allowed the South to annex them in the late 80's. Russia's less expansionist foreign policy in turn led them to reject the idea of invading Afghanistan. Instead, the United States would fund a group of secularist forces within the country to seize power from more fundamentalist and Anti-American forces. Less Russian weapons were sold to Third World countries, hindering the ability of Arab Nations surrounding Isreal to rage war on the tiny Jewish state, forcing them to recognize its legitimacy at the behest of small, poorly organized terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Al Qaeda who have failed to find a voice in the Middle East since these less fundamentalist and more secularizing governments have started cropping up, due in no small part to American and Russian support from afar.
In 1990 USSR let many of its republics, in accordance to its reformist policies. In the end only Russia remained. Second and third parties were allowed into power within the assembly and the Soviet Republic of Russia simply became known as The Republic of Russia. Communists still hold seats on the government assembly, but they are barely recognizable to the ones that ruled the USSR in our world and are more akin to Social Democrats than true communism.
The secrets of the German Atomic Weapons program were forever lost to time, covered up by both Russia and America in fears it would make the long dead enemy seem more powerful and the end of the war more close to the wire than imaginable. Truman, despite the horrors of this program, still believed an atomic bombing of Japan was needed to end the war. Instead, Russian bombers began joining in on the destruction of Japan early, seeing that their enemy in the west had already been dealt with. Also, Stalin was hoping to occupy a piece of Japan, if only to make up for the loss of Eastern Europe. The action led to Japan's to surrender. As countless amounts of equipment and weapons and lives were being expended the hardliners in Government still refused to give in to inevitable. Enraged, a small band of Anti-Militarist officers instituted a coup that saw much of the leadership in Tokyo excluding the Emperor dead. This new government quickly sued for peace with the Allies in a public statement, allowing Truman to call off the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Many Japanese were distraught at the loss of the war, but they had avoided potential nuclear annihilation. Atomic weapons themselves wouldn't be as much of an issue, as there was no cold war between Russia and America. Both sides, in accordance with their new friendship signed a non-proliferation act after the war in '46 which limited the amount of nuclear weapons both countries could have at one time. Only China stockpiled these nuclear weapons and that was not until the early sixties. America and China entered into a bit of an arms race until the late 80's when they were convinced to sign a similar non-proliferation act by President Ronald Reagan. This was a surprisingly move considering that Reagan had once called China's communist government "The Evil Dynasty".
Dick Grayson was inducted into the early stages of the joint venture between Russia and America to reach the moon. Both NASA and the Soviet Space Program worked in tangent to reach the stars together. Dick Grayson would be one of the first men in orbit alongside a Communist cosmonaut, a former tank commander named Kovlar. While neither ever reached the moon, they both lived to see Neil Armstrong along with Buzz Aldrin and two other Russian Cosmonauts land in the sea of tranquility. Adding to Neil's famous words the Cosmonauts expressed their first words on the moon as "We make this giant leap together."
Dick Grayson and Wally West would continue flying jets in Korea and Briefly in Vietnam before retiring. West went his own way and opened up a flight school for civilian pilots, Grayson in the meantime had settled into domestic life with Kory, whom he had stayed in touch with and married a few years after the war. They had one daughter together.
Victor Stone returned stateside at last, only to be met with bigotry to the country he had fought so hard for and so hard to get back to. Infuriated, he joined the civil rights movement and became close friends with Martin Luther King Jr. As America eventually made life fairer for Blacks and other Minorities, King was almost murdered by an assassin. Thankfully, Stone had seen the glint of the rifle's scope and moved in front the Civil Rights leader, blocking the shot with his arm. Stone's arm was torn up badly and needed to be amputated. It was replaced by a prosthetic limb. Stone said it was worth losing an arm to save the life of such an important human being. He was glad that he accomplished something good without having to kill somebody, but instead save someone.
Commander Kovlar rose up in the rank of the military after the war, becoming a highly decorated Colonel within the Tank Corps. He was given several commendations and medals for his heroic actions and fully supported the reformist government that soon took power. He was one of the tanks on the border between Russia and China, as well as helped in training South Vietnamese tankers to better defend their country. He never retired from the military, citing it as the one occupation he had put too much of himself into to ever really leave.
Ravenna eventually immigrated to America to be with Garfield Logan. She resigned from the KVND and hung up her rifle for good. Logan did the same, both feeling they had done enough killing already. Their exploits were largely never known and perhaps never will be. They were content with this and simply desired to achieve the American dream, settle down and raise a family. They did not tell their children much about what they did in the war, only that meeting each other was the best thing that came out of it, if not the only thing. Ravenna has abandoned her communist ideology, finding that capitalism does have its benefits as well as enjoying the fact she could find her own way in life. She of course participated in marches for women's rights in 50's and 60's. She eventually found work as school councillor, after earning her degree in child psychology. Logan in the meantime opened a small family run grocery store, which has a far bigger vegetable section than any other aisle. Garfield cites health reasons for it, Ravenna says tofu and soy don't have much of a future in a country that prides itself on BBQ and hot dogs.
Well I think that does it for the main's story's epilogue. Unfortunately I think every one of my actors have been blown to kingdom come. Tragic, but what can you do? I guess I better start holding auditions for their replacements. Wonder where I can get a green shape-shifting superhero?
(Raven, Beast Boy and Starfire all stumble out of the wreckage of the destroyed Ratte tank coughing)
Raven: Asshole! We're not dead!
Oh you're alive, that's unexpected. Hey you see my wife?
(Blackfire punches her way out of a crashed airplane)
Blackfire: Why does the world keep spinning? (Wanders off in random direction) Where did my adopted sister go?
Oh thank goodness, everyone important is still breathing. I'm so relieved.
Starfire: What of the villains?
(Beast Boy points over to pile of groaning and in pain bad guys, with Control Freak leaning up against them)
Control Freak: (Weakly) Do not believe in yourself... believe in the geek who believes in you. (Plops down on ground)
(Beast Boy helps Control Freak up as other Titans rush over to mound of villains.)
Starfire: What of Robin and Cyborg?
(Cyborg rip apart the overturned trailer's chassis and walks out with Robin over his shoulder)
Cyborg: Hey gang, we still alive... we're just really depressed.
How nice for all of you. Well it looks like everything turned out just fine, you're welcome.
Raven: Welcome? You didn't do anything! It was Control Freak who saved our asses?
Control Freak: Does this mean I can ask you or Starfire out on a date?
Raven & Starfire: No.
Control Freak: Oh.
Hey I sent Blackfire down there to help you! I mean she turned the tide of the whole battle!
Raven: She did not! She tried to make nice with the crazy bitch!
Blackfire: Is anyone in the mood for some Mickey Dee's? Anyone? I want me an apple pie?
Beast Boy: Man she took a big bump on the head huh?
In any case, Azula's gone and none is hurt. Despite the fact that big ass explosion should've killed every last one of you anyway. But schematics congratulations folks on another story finished!
Raven: And it only took you four years, impressive.
Beast Boy: Well I'm just glad thats-
(Azula kicks her way out of Ratte, holding a pistol.)
Azula: Hello! McFly! I'm still alive dumbasses!
Beast Boy: Ahhh shit!
Raven: Why aren't you dead?
Azula: You can't kill the main villain that damn easily in these kids shows! What are you retarded or something?
Starfire: But that explosion was huge and consuming!
Azula: and yet you're still breathing so why not me? Shut it! Normally I'd just burn you bastards alive, but that little fight with Nerdwad over there sapped me of most of my strength.
Beast Boy: Wait, is that how Fire Bending works?
Azula: Silence! Point is, guns are quicker to the punch and now I'm just gonna riddle you fuckers with bullets and use your mouths as waste receptacles. Nothing personally, it's just hate all your guts and you have to die.
Raven: But your army is destroyed! You got nothing left!
Azula: I can still find pleasure in killing you!
Starfire: We can still fight you, and all you have is a gun!
Azula: I also have this! (Holds up See-More and points gun at him)
See-More: Don't kill me! I have a fanbase I swear! They'll miss me!
Azula: Try anything and he dies! Being the heroes you can't live with that can you?
Raven: Quick, do we have any villains left?
Starfire: Well, Malchior is still stuck in the book at home, Red X is in Vegas I think... oh the Puppet King he's-
Control Freak: No, no, he visited a toothpick factory recently... he's not coming back.
Starfire: Oh... tragic.
(Azula laughs menacingly as she points the gun at the heroes and prepares to fire when suddenly a boomerang comes out of nowhere and knocks it out of her hand. Then a gust of air pushes her back and she careens into a large slab of rock that wraps around her. Everyone looks behind them and sees the entire main cast of Avatar standing there.)
Beast Boy: The hell!
Sokka: Sorry we're late, inter-dimensional travel is a bitch.
Aang: Sokka also needed to stop to pick up some burgers.
Sokka: I'm weak, sue me.
(Toph drags Azula in her rocky prison over to the others)
Toph: Let's see ya break out of that one without your buddies in the Dai Li!
(Zuko walks over to Titans)
Zuko: We're sorry about this, it happens every couple of months when she stops taking her medication. You need to understand, it's not her fault she's just crazy.
Azula: Let me go you idiots! I'm actually trying to do something good for once! I'm trying to right the wrongs against us!
Zuko: For the last time Azula, you can't just go around killing other cartoon stars because their shows aren't as good as ours.
Azula: But they deserve it! I wanna!
Zuko: You are just so lucky Mai told me that you were off the pills and I got down here when I could. You're also lucky DC heroes tend not to kill people.
Azula: I don't need the pills! I'm fine! That's how they get into your head anyway! That's how they control your mind!
Sokka: Oh boy here go.
Azula: The chemtrails are in atmosphere! Why does no one see that but me? The government controls our mind with chemtrails and the pills give you aids! It's how they spread aids! Freemasons run the country!
Zuko: Someone needs a booster! (Jabs needle into Azula's neck, her pupils suddenly widen)
Azula: What is with all the fighting? (Goes into a dreamy daze)
Zuko: Again I'm really sorry about this whole mess, we really need to get a better watch on her. But she's always seducing the guards or making them regret their lives and crap.
Beast Boy: Yeah we kinda noticed that, they got our leader.
(Cyborg puts Robin down and he faces Zuko)
Robin: You accomplished what we failed, we're disgraces.
Zuko: Uh, there there.
Robin: (Whines) I miss my Batty Dad!
Zuko: That's rough buddy. (Turns to other Titans) Just give him a few days he'll be okay.
Aang: Alright we gotta get Azula back to her nice padded cell before she goes crazy again.
Toph: Here that Princess, we're taking back to that nice room with all the kind hearted folks in white suits.
Azula: Hello magical purple dwarf! How are you?
Toph: That's right, just let the medicine work ignore everything around you and give into the drug addled hallucination. (Puts hat on Azula that says "I'm Toph's Bitch" and take a picture with her in it) I love being awesome.
Beast Boy: Wait, before you go... we gotta ask... do you guys think we're obsolete too?
Sokka: Well you still have that comic, that's something.
Zuko: Besides, it's not like we can judge you. Ya had a smaller budget and we're original property.
Aang: Not every show can be almost a "Avatar", and that's no reason to hate another show. Your fandom is okay, our fandom is okay. You're your own thing, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Toph: But Spongebob is still shit.
(Everyone looks over at Toph disapprovingly)
Toph: Oh come on! We all believe that.
(Azula is rolled away as she sings showtunes to herself)
Well this has been a long series of strange events. Thoughts guys?
Beast Boy: Well, I suppose we did learn a bit about the mechanics of war and why certain things are unfeasible as well as the sacrifices inherent in all combat.
Raven: I suppose we did learn that, but in truth I just wanna go home and drink until I forget this whole ordeal, all in favour.
Everyone: Aye!
Fair enough, Blackie time to go home we got this story in the bag.
Blackfire: Yes mister president! (Weakly flies off)
(Taxi pulls up and out jumps Sergeant Pain with a buttload of comics)
Pain: Hey I'm back from the store, what did I miss?
(Looks out on smouldering battleground)
Pain: Huh... quite a bit I see.
The Titans and Villains went home to their own universe and drunk away the entire painful ordeal of this ridiculous story and everything involved in it. The villains however have found a new form of respect for themselves born out of standing up against a bigger and stronger villain. Robin lay in bed for about a week until the effects of the monologue wore off. He is now back to his regular self-righteous self.
Azula was returned to her clinic, where her friends Mai and Ty Lee still visited her hoping she'd stop being crazy. Ty Lee is still a borderline lesbian around Azula, and Mai is still apathetic. A month later, Azula stopped taking her medicine again and vanished a few hours later. Her current whereabouts are unknown.
Meanwhile in Bikini Bottom...
(A submarine-tank bulldozes through the "Welcome to Bikini Bottom" sign)
Azula: (Within Tank) WA HA HA! Gonna burn this muther down bitches! Burn it down! WA HA HA HA!
Pain is still reading through every single one of his comic book stacks. Considering he was at the store for four years, that's quite a lot of comics.
General Rage decided he had grown bored with the Titans complaining about their lives being put at risk constantly for his own sick entertainment. Annoyed by the fact they keep doing this constantly, he decided to find some new victi- I mean actors to play out his new fanfic stories not related to the Titans franchise period.
GR holds up a file folder to his face and nods before placing it on the desk in front of him.
"Well you certainly have the charisma, popularity and overall awesome quota to meet my stringent standards." He said aloud "Also as it seems you have no trouble jumping into dangerous potentially life threatening situations that would make others scream in terror before shitting their pantaloons. So, no worries about you complaining about the stunts I'm gonna make ya do. Good to know. Well it looks like everything is in order. I expect many good things from both you and your crew as we head down the fanfiction road together Mister..."
A large man in futuristic armour stands in front of GR's desk.
"Shepard," he says "Commander Shepard."
"You know I gotta be honest I thought you were a woman." GR tells him "I mean half the time all the fanfics are about a girl Shepard."
"Most people like to play as a girl okay," he replies embarrassed "it's just how it is."
"Fair enough, well expect to see more from you soon good sir."
A large reptilian creature walks up beside Shepard.
"Do we get to kill something now?" He asked
"Later Grunt," Shepard says rather annoyed "we'll find something for you to crush with your hands later."
"You always say later." Grunt grumbles