The Evil Long Forgotten
Chapter 11
By Christopher W. Blaine
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DISCLAIMER: All of the characters and situations contained in this story are ©2004 by DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission for non-profit, fan related entertainment purposes only. This original work of fiction is ©2004 by Christopher W. Blaine and may not be reproduced in any manner, in part or as a whole, without the express permission of the author.
The car had finally stopped in front of a house in a small neighborhood of a town whose name Wonder Woman did not know. It was not important. The person they were going to see, though, was. The driver had explained that Mrs. Schultz, a widow who had once been the prized beauty of the town, had been spending the last few years putting together the history of the area for publication.
The driver got out of the car and ran up to the front door and knocked, Wonder Woman and Red Star remained seated in the back of the vehicle. "Perhaps I should stay out here," Red Star offered. "My countrymen and I are still not welcome by many of the older residents. To many of them, the Soviet army was a thousand times worse than the Nazis."
"And I am sure some of them have good reasons for believing such a thing, Leonid," she said, watching the driver speak to someone they could not see. "War brings out the worst in men and that can be a very dark thing indeed. The western allies came to Germany to end a war, to bring about peace; the Russians arrived for revenge. And you have already made it plainly clear what the Russian morality on revenge is."
Red Star shrugged. "They should not have picked a fight they could not win."
Wonder Woman shook her head, but smiled at the same time. Was she as fierce in her national pride? What would her remarks be if some rival nation decided they wanted a war with the Amazons? "Ah, the driver returns!"
She rolled down the window and her and the other man conversed in low tones, again in German, which left Red Star in the cold. He leaned back into a corner and observed the body language of the driver and assumed that they had both been invited in. The truth was the big Russian felt this was all a waste of time. In his mind everything came down to whatever it was Dr. Melch was working on during the war and he had probably left a clue to its secret somewhere on his property. No doubt it was a weapon of mass destruction and Red Star was there to make sure that the Germans eliminated it, whatever it was, so that there was no threat to Russia.
Coming here for a history lesson, which would probably be in German, seemed frivolous. He was still thinking that as he sat down in the comfortable living room of the small house, watching as the older woman moved off to the kitchen. Wonder Woman explained she was going to get coffee and Red Star simply nodded.
He looked all around the room and saw piles upon piles of books, but strangely nothing relating to the war years. Then he remembered the German ban on such materials. Still, it fascinated him that such an important part of their history was virtually being swept under the rug. The Russians had their own dark period as well, but nobody was trying to forget who Stalin was or his atrocities against the Russian people. If you did not know about the mistakes of the past, you were doomed to repeat them he thought.
Mrs. Schultz returned with a large silver tray full of cups, decanters and several small piles of cookies. Immediately Red Star was up and took the tray from her. Surprisingly she thanked him in accented Russian. When he tried to speak with her she held up a withered hand and smiled with her thin lips. In German and through Wonder Woman, she explained that she had learned how to say please, thank you and where is the bathroom in several languages as a young woman when she had dreams of traveling the world.
Red Star, unable to do much else except listen to Wonder Woman relay the conversation to him, poured the coffee. Mrs. Schultz took hers black, while Wonder Woman had cream. The Russian dumped some sugar in a cup and then poured coffee over it, all the while grabbing a few cookies. Wonder Woman eyed him, eyed his muscles and then understood why he had to work out so much. Otherwise he probably would weigh hundreds of pounds!
"Frau Schultz, mir wurde gesagt, dass sie sehr viel über diese Gegend wissen (Mrs. Schultz, I have been told you are knowledgeable of the local area)," Wonder Woman began. "Wir interessieren uns sehr fuer Dr. Melch und seine Familie (We are very interested in learning about Dr. Melch and his family)."
Mrs. Schultz smiled again and gazed at Wonder Woman. "Wie sehr wuenschte ich, ich haette meine Schoenheit so erhalten koennen wie ihre. Ich erinnere mich, dass ich ueber Sie nach dem Krieg gelesen habe. Ich war nur ein kleines Maedchen, aber ich hatte schon so viel gesehen. So viel Tod und Zerstoerung und dann waren da Sie, so schoen, and huebsch (How I wish I could have retained my beauty as you have. I remember reading about you after the war. I was just a little girl, but I had seen so much. So much death and destruction and then there you were, so beautiful and pretty)…"
Wonder Woman reached over and put her smooth hand over the older woman's, giving it a squeeze. "Ich wuenschte, ich koennte so ein warmes Kompliment annehmen, aber Sie sprechen von meiner Mutter, die ein Mitglied der All-Star Squadron der Vereinigten Staaten war (I wish I could accept such a warm compliment, but you are speaking of my mother, who was a member of the All-Star Squadron in the United States)."
The German woman seemed slightly disappointed at the revelation, but still remained cheerful nonetheless. She tapped her chin for a few seconds, trying to figure out exactly how to begin the story. Finally, she, appropriately enough, started at the beginning.
"Ich habe nie jemanden von dieser Familie getroffen, aber ich weiss durch meine Nachforschungen, dass es eine stolze Familie mit einer Familien-Linie war, die weit zurueck bis zur Zeit der Kreuzzuege geht. Seit Generationen meldeten sich die jungen Maenner zu jeder Unternehmung die ihre Anfuehrer an sie herantrugen (I never met any of that family, but I do know from my research that it was a proud family with a family line that stretched back to the time of the Crusades. For centuries the young men of the family line offered themselves up to any and every cause that their leaders pointed them towards)." She sighed and shook her head, finally starting up again in a voice that was tinged with regret. She explained that many of the males of the family were killed in World War 1 and that the females, all beautiful women, married into other families in order to try and bolster the sagging worth of the Melch holdings.
Despite all of that, the Melch estate started to fall into disrepair and by the time the war had started, the family was near bankruptcy. "Dr. Melch entschied sich frueh, die Nazis zu unterstuetzen, er glaubte, das sei der einzige Weg, sein Leben zu verbessern. Sein Sohn, Heinrich, wurde weggeschickt, um ein SS Offizier zu werden. Es half nicht, die Familie verlor ihren Besitz im Jahre 1942, nach den Aufzeichnungen. Es wurde von einem rivalisierenden Landbesitzter gekauft, der nicht Mitglied der Partei war (Dr. Melch decided early on to join the Nazis, feeling that it was the only way to improve his lot in life. His son, Heinrich, was turned over for training to become an SS officer. It did not help matters, though; the estate was finally lost to the family in 1942 according to the records. It was purchased by a rival landowner who was not a member of the party)."
From there she went on to explain that the Melch's disappeared from the area for the next three years until, suddenly, Dr. Melch returned to the estate. It had, the rumors were, been repurchased by Heinrich Himmler himself to be given to Melch. Some thought it was a way of rewarding him for years of faithful service to the Reich, but others felt there were more sinister motives. "Dr. Melch war ein Experte fuer menschliche Mutationen und hat an ein paar Projekten mit Josef Mengele gearbeitet (Dr. Melch was an expert on human mutations and he had done some work with Josef Mengele)," she told Wonder Woman, referring to infamous head physician of the Auschwitz death camp. "Viele aeltere Maenner aus der Gegend behaupten er hat daran gearbeitet, eine Deutsche Version von Green Lantern oder dem Adlermann zu erschaffen. Kein Propaganda-Werkzeug wie Kapitaen Nazi oder Baron Blitzkrieg, sondern einen echten Deutschen Super-Mann (Many of the older men of the area claimed that he had been working on trying to create a German version of Green Lantern or the Hawkman. Not some propaganda tool like Captain Nazi or Baron Blitzkrieg, but a true German super man)."
Wonder Woman asked if Baron Blitzkrieg had ever been in the area and the woman shook her head. That would not have been likely, considering the Baron seemed more interested in fighting his battles in the United States. In fact, she would have been very surprised that he would involve himself in anything of the sort. "Der Baron, wenn Sie ihre Geschichte kennen, war furchtbar verwundet durch einen Angriff eines Gefaengnis-Insassen. Hitlers Wisschenschaftlern gelang es, gewissen Mutanten-Kraefte in seinem Gehirn zu aktivieren, aber sie haben sein Gesicht nie reparieren koennen. Er lehnte es ab. Er muss es abgelehnt haben (The Baron, if you know your history, was horribly scarred by an attack by a prison inmate. Hitler's scientists were able to activate certain mutant powers in his brain, but they never repaired his face. He resented that; he had to have resented that)," she repeated.
The Amazon leaned back and nodded her head slowly. It might have explained why he had been against the idea of the Automan Project; perhaps he did not want to see another German soldier subjugated to the whims of the scientists of the Third Reich. Then, something even more shocking entered her mind. Maybe Dr. Melch was one of the scientists that had helped create Baron Blitzkrieg!
She pushed the issue with Mrs. Schultz, feeling that there was something here she simply was not seeing. The older woman was patient with her answers and then, almost casually; she informed the two heroes that the Baron had been Melch's nephew by way of his eldest sister. "Eine atemberaubende Schoenheit, wenn es je eine in ganz Deutschland gab. Sie heiratete in Prussischen Wohlstand ein. Der Baron erbte das Aussehen seiner Mutter, er war eine schoene Person, vor seinem... Unfall (A ravishing beauty if there ever was one in all of Germany. She married into Prussian nobility. The Baron inherited his mother's looks, he was a dashing figure before his…accident)." But Wonder Woman knew that outer beauty meant nothing if the heart was cold and Baron Blitzkrieg had proven time and time again he was nothing but a despot in golden armor.
The older woman seemed to sense Wonder Woman's unease and she made an effort to explain. "Egal was er spaeter in seinem Leben getan hat, er war ein schoener Mann. Und das seltsamste von allem, warum sollte er ein Leben im Luxus aufgeben, das er vor dem Krieg hatte, um etwas so anderes zu werden? Er war ein Mann, der Deutschland geliebt hat, wie die Maenner seiner Blutlinie (Regardless of what he did later in life, he was a handsome man. And that is strangest part of all, why he would surrender the life of luxury he had before the war to become something so different. He was a man who loved Germany, as did the men of his bloodline)."
Wonder Woman decided to steer the conversation back on track. She asked if there was any evidence that Dr. Melch had been successful in his attempts. Mrs. Schultz said that before the war ended, Dr. Melch spent only a few weeks on his estate and then the Allies seized it. A lawyer representing Melch successfully sued to have the estate returned to the scientist after he was convicted of war crimes, even though he could not physically live on it. "Traurig, es ist verfallen. Eine Schande, wirklich! Ich erinnere mich daran aus meiner Kindheit als eine Art lokale Attraktion. Sogar dann, als viele Gebaeude zerstoert waren, war es ein grandioser Anblick (Sadly, it fell into disrepair, a shame really. I remember it as a little girl; it was a sort of local attraction. Even then, with many of the buildings torn down, it was a glorious sight to behold)."
They spoke for another hour and Wonder Woman began to paint a scenario in her head. Whatever the Atoman Project was, it most likely had been a failure, but all of the evidence, notes or whatever, had been given to Dr. Melch, which he hid away on his estate. The Atoman Project had been known to the Soviets, but they had not been willing to share what they knew about it with the Americans, who had, at the time, control over Melch. So, for decades the secret of the project, which was no doubt a way to try and create a German super-hero, was kept hidden away in three parts.
First there was the evidence that the Soviets had discovered right after the war. Second there was the assistant to Dr. Teufel, the true genius behind the technology, the strange German aristocrat Dr, Melch. Third there was Dr. Teufel, a man who betrayed his own people in the name of science.
After politely refusing to stay for dinner (which earned Wonder Woman a scornful look from Red Star), the Amazon princess announced that they had to leave. They were already behind schedule as it was and no doubt Donna was going to be upset. She had telephoned Wonder Woman and told her that something strange was buried on the Melch property. Steven was probably already there as well with the information on Baron Blitzkrieg so they could cross-reference the data they had.
Which made her wonder, what had the Seraph come across, or specifically who, that caused him to be murdered. What was the secret that was worth keeping all of these years and who wanted to keep it?
Teufel and Melch were dead. Baron Blitzkrieg had to be dead; especially after the beating he had taken combating Wonder Woman's mother all of those years ago. Who else could it be, and did they have the power to not only combat, but also kill a renowned super-hero such as the Seraph?
They stepped out onto the front porch and Red Star happily accepted a plate of cookies. Wonder Woman could not help but smile as Mrs. Schultz explained. "Viele sprechen davon, wie schlimm die Sowjets waren, als sie nach Deutschland kamen, aber ich habe viele getroffen, die nicht nur nett waren, sondern auch richtige Gentlemen. Sie haben mich und meine Familie mit Respekt behandelt und ich habe das nie vergessen. Ich verurteile die Leute nicht fuer die Fehler der Regierung (Many talk about how terrible the Soviets were when they came into Germany, but I met many who were not only kind, but were gentlemen as well. They treated me and my family with respect and I have never forgotten that. I do not blame the people for the problems of the government)."
It was a philosophy that was perplexing and gratifying at the same time. Wonder Woman was fully aware of the prejudice against Germans throughout the world, despite the reunification of the country. Many people still saw the scourge of the Nazis and blamed every German citizen for the actions of the government at that time.
Yet, here was a woman who had not let that bring her down, had not let that hatred of the world blacken her attitude. How many Americans would have offered cookies to a communist?
Their car was parked down the small avenue and the heroes, clad in long trench coats to hide their costumes, began the short walk towards it. "My government believes that, given the evidence, it is Baron Blitzkrieg that is behind this."
That surprised her. The day was just full of fresh thinking. She really needed to get away from the Justice League more often she told herself. "Really?"
"You should confirm with your mother, of course, but we were told by our sources that the Seraph was killed by someone of great strength and with heat vision. Either it is Superman or it is the Baron."
"Other heroes have similar abilities," Wonder Woman pointed out. "The Martian Manhunter for one."
"None of them have reason to kill an Israeli super-hero. If it were terrorists or Islamists, they would have taken credit for the killing. If it were radical Jewish forces, they too would have taken credit." The Russian brought the plate of cookies up to his nose and sniffed. "Ah, so very tempting. You do know that the Seraph was not an agent of the Mossad, the Israeli secret service," he told her.
"No, I was not aware. I just assumed he had been."
Red Star shook his head. "Nyet. They tried for years to recruit him, but he felt that if he became a tool of his government, it would somehow corrupt what he said was his holy mission."
"I did understand that he believed his powers came from his god," she said. Then she stopped. "But to think that Blitzkrieg survived all of these years is ludicrous."
"We are a Russian given powers by a meteorite and an Amazon shaped from clay, how can you think such a thing is impossible?" he asked, genuine disbelief in his voice.
She had never quite looked at it that way and she supposed that in her efforts to become more in tune with the common people, she had started to think like them. The truth was, though, no matter how she sliced it, she was not one of them. She was different. She was Diana, princess of the Amazons, an immortal beauty who would never know the indignities of a gray hair or "smile lines". She had died once before and had been lifted up to Mount Olympus to be crowned the Goddess of Truth.
Then she thought about the various dire events in the lives of her friends and comrades. Superman had been killed by Doomsday, only to return to life a year later. Batman had his back broken and yet he swung from rooftop to rooftop in Gotham City every night. Hal Jordan, greatest of the Green Lanterns, had gone insane and eventually committed suicide, only to return to life as the Spectre.
Was it so hard to believe that someone like Baron Blitzkrieg could also cheat death? If anything, the Baron had been intelligent and cunning; surely he could have had a back-up plan in mind whenever he had last fought Wonder Woman's mother. Was it really possible that a World War 2 villain was out there, killing modern day super-heroes?
Red Star seemed to read her thoughts. "Even today, the Justice Society, formed before the war in the late 1930's, still operates with some of the original members. One thing we have learned in Russia over the years is not to expect everything to remain normal. Personally, I would have believed that communism would last forever, not knowing that the poison of capitalistic ideals would turn my country into the cesspool of crime and pornography it is today." There was a bitter edge to his tone and Wonder Woman sympathized with him. It was hard seeing Eden rot away she was once told by the Batman as he described his motivation for fighting his war on crime.
"If he were alive, where would he be?" Wonder Woman asked, probing Red Star for as much information as she could get. Obviously he had gotten a good briefing before he left Moscow.
"Our intelligence suggests that he would have traveled frequently over the last few decades in order to avoid Nazi hunters. He would have changed his appearance so that he could blend in with the normal people," Red Star said, tossing political correctness aside. "In essence, he could be anyone and anywhere."
"But he's obviously come back to Germany," Wonder Woman pointed out. 'He must be here and he must have some serious sources to know what the Seraph was up to."
Red Star shrugged and they continued their walk. "As we do not know the extent of his condition, we cannot assume anything about his operations. He could be a wheelchair bound blithering idiot with followers that look upon him as the reincarnation of Hitler. He could also be immortal like you. He could have been a shape shifter or an alien. The fact is that we know very little about him except that he was once a Prussian nobleman."
The conversation stooped dead then as the ground shook from the arrival of four Asian women in power armor. They came down out of the sky like avenging angels and landed so hard on the street that they sank several inches into it. One of them fired a power blast from their wrist gauntlets. Red Star flew back, struck squarely in the chest by the blast. His plate of cookies went high into the air and then crashed on the sidewalk, spilling the treats everywhere.
Wonder Woman immediately brought her arms up and deflected several blasts with her bracers. Her speed was like lightning and after the barrage had been successfully defeated, she tore off her coat to reveal the familiar costume underneath. "Now is not the time to make me angry," she told them.
One of the women, the obvious leader, slowly moved forward. Her power armor made quiet hydraulic noises as she did so. "Our orders are to stop you, Amazon; we've been promised a hefty sum to put an end to your investigation. A shame, really, I would have offered you a place on my team otherwise."
Wonder Woman could not place the voice, but the slight British accent indicated the woman was most likely from Hong King. Not that it mattered to her, really. They were challenging her to a fight and they were going to be, she was sure, very sorry for it.