Hey guys. I was asked if this story is supposed to follow the historical facts, and to that.. yes. In this chapter there are some mistakes though. I realized the train ride is too short, but I hope you'll bear with me on that one. Also, things seem a little less-violent than than what was reality back then, but I'll take my revenge in the next chapter xD Enjoy!


Complete Combustion

II. Hidden Reich

"I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death."

-Anne Frank

As the first rays of light crept through the bars, sparsely illumining the wagon with pale stripes, the luminous snowflakes still danced innocently upon the gusts of wind, with the howls ripping through the fresh morning air as their music, and the subdued growls and stirring of awaking people could be heard.

Kyle blinked sleepily as a snowflake landed on his nose.

He awoke as the icy water melted and ran down his face, and then the cold hit him. Oh God, it was freezing in here.

Normally his pants would be tight with a morning boner, when he awoke, but he supposed the cold killed it. Not that he complained, given the amount of people in the wagon.

"Where the hell am I?" he first thought, and attempted to breath in, but it felt as if a glacial hand had clamped down on his throat.

His eyes roamed the wagon. He'd dumped himself on a empty spot right under the window. Probably not the smartest idea given the weather, but why the hell couldn't they apply some glass in these windows?

All around him people groaned and moved around, stretching their sore muscles from the night on the cold floor, sparsely joisted with hay.

Oh well, depression had hit Germany after all, Kyle thought. And he hadn't actually had the possibility of getting on a train for years, so how would he know if they had changed since back then.

On his left side Ike was awaking. Kyle shook him impatiently, causing the younger boys' eyes to fly open, startled. Kyle smiled apologetically.

"Sorry bro'. Just needed some company."

Ike took in his surroundings just like Kyle had done, and then turned his sleepy face toward his big brother;

"Oh, thanks so much for letting that affect me," he replied.

Kyle raised an eyebrow. "That's what little brothers are for, you know."

Ike flipped him off, but quickly withdrew his exposed hand deeply into his pocket, as the cold hit him.

"Man, it's freaking cold in here." He exclaimed, body starting to shake. " A little isolation would do these wagons good. Look at the walls. It's plain boards."

Kyle inspected the walls, and found that his younger brother was right. The walls consisted of nothing more than old wooden boards and planks poorly nailed to each other with chinks allowing the cold to seep in. "Why the hell don't they equip their trains properly?" Ike ranted. "These might as well go for cow transportations."

Kyle shrugged. "I guess the government can't afford it with the war and all..."

Ike nodded.

Kyle hoped the train would take them to East Germany. He secretly fantasized about getting a really good job, and a hot girlfriend like he was supposed to. Then he would finally get some, and maybe stop wanking, all the time. It was pathetic - he was 18 for the love of God!

Kyle noticed his mum and dad talking quietly behind him. They appeared to freeze as much as the brothers did. When Sheila caught her oldest son looking at her, she shot him a reassuring smile. They hadn't discussed the incident at their house at all, and for all Kyle knew, his mum had gone in denial.

"'Morning kids." She said. "Ky-ole, Ike, me and your dad were just discussing the possibilities when we arrive in East Germany."

"Total denial." Kyle thought, wondering how someone could appear so collected, after having being hauled off by a bunch of mad SS'ers, who, by the way, beat her husband and punched her son.

"Yeah? What did you talk about?" he asked.

"Well, I thought it would be a good idea if your dad took up working in the law firms again," Gerald nodded vigorously with a broad smile, behind her back. "...and then you could help me take care of Ike.."

"I can take care of myself, mum!"

"...until your dad has time to get you a job. Maybe you can even work in the same department."

"Wait a sec, wait a sec! What are you implying?" Kyle held up his hands, the cold forgotten for a moment. He couldn't believe what he heard. The same department... did that mean...?

"You are going to be a perfect lawyer Ky-ole." His mum exclaimed.

"And I'll teach you all I know." His dad chipped in, proudly putting a hand on his sons shoulder, which Kyle quickly shook off.

"But I don't wanna be a lawyer." He protested. "I've told you over and over again... I'm 18, I should be able to make my own decisions."

His mums bright smile was quickly replaced by a stern grimace. Her voice sounded carefully restrained when she spoke after a second.

"You know very well we all have big expectations when it comes to you," she began.

Kyle looked down, repressing his urge to stuff his fingers in his ears.

"You are a bright boy, and you shouldn't waste your intelligence, and it's much easier to get a good job, when working in the same business as your father."

Her words were final, and left Kyle discouraged. He hated her dominating behaviour and was completely repulsed by the idea of becoming a lawyer. It was not his thing at all. He could never say that to her face though, or she'd flip.

He felt anger boiling in his every vein as the train lowered the speed and continued down a bumpy road winding through a mountainous, uneven area.

"Mum, what's Oświęcim?" A kid asked loudly, jumping up and down in front of the window of the opposite wall.

"Oświęcim?" A tall, geeky-looking man with thick brown glasses repeated turning his attention to the small girl.

"Yeah, it was written on a signpost," she told him. "That isn't German."She pointed out the obvious to her mum in a know-all tone, but it was the nerdy man who replied.

"You are right..." he said. "It isn't." He cleared his throat a couple of times before raising his voice so it was audible to the entire wagon. "Ladies and gentlemen, I must inform you that this isn't East Germany." he said dramatically. "We're in Poland."

This announcement was met with a doubtful silence. Then...

"Poland?"

"No way!" people started to mumble mutually.

"This has got to be some mistake!" Kyles mum exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, facing the man who'd made the announcement.

Kyle couldn't believe it – Poland. This couldn't be right. The little girl had got to be mistaken.

"I'm afraid not. Oświęcim is a small town in Poland approximately 60 kilometres from Krakow."

"Hey! Look out the window!" one yelled from the far end of the wagon. Kyle felt people starting to push to get to a window, but he gripped the bars of his window firmly and was squashed between the wall and the crowd of people gathering around the windows.

As he looked out realization hit him. The train drove on the outskirts of a village. He could see people in the streets, little half-timbered house and signs. Signs in a language that definitely wasn't German.

An agitated murmur broke out.

"You think this is a mistake, dad?" He overheard his brother asking his dad worried. He didn't hear his dads answer, because at that moment, the unit took a sharp but slow turn, and rolled through a large gate, leading to a plain and desolated area behind tall barbed-wire fences. The wagons continued straight ahead, rolling over a huge lawn– forward, forward, forward, following the straight line of the shins.

Kyle looked out at what appeared to be a military base. Sticking his head out between the bars, he could see yet another gate build into a red brick court which lead into another area protected by even more barbed-wire fences. From far away he observed the small dots at the gate, appearing to be people. Soldiers, he learned, as the train approached them. SS'ers in fact.

Silence fell in the wagon. Whether it was the silence of expectancy or fear, he couldn't determine. He didn't know what to feel himself. The area seemed closed, like a hidden empire lying waste and silent, tucked in between breathtaking landscapes and villages, so nobody could discover it. Bolts of curiosity shot through him, as anticipation rose within his body. He suddenly felt an adventurous and rash urge to enter through this gate as quickly as possible learn what secrecy lay behind it.

The large wire fence gate was opened by a gloomy looking SS man. There were several of these Guard Battalions, enclosing the train as it passed through the creaking gate, as though afraid people might jump out of the windows. Kyles eyes locked with one of the guards, and he could have sworn the guard shot him a mocking glare whilst jeering at him.

He shook his head.

"Becoming neurotic like your mum," he thought to himself.

The train drove to the strangest town Kyle had ever seen. Square brick barracks encircled the railway. The way they were systematically placed in the landscape created an alien community. Between them were gravel roads and lonely watchtowers hovering above the short, humble-looking barracks.

The train rolled to a stop at a platform located in the middle of the strange town. It was already flooded with confused Jews and SS'ers shouting out commands to the swarm of people. The doors were opened and people immediately began crowding at them.

"Remember we have to stick together." Kyles mum hissed in her families ears , and grabbed a hold of both of the boys' arms, as the four were pushed toward the door.

"Whatever..." Kyle replied. Still slightly annoyed at her for deciding his future single-handedly. Kyle was torn away from his family by a couple of strong arms, forcefully pulling him out of the train, causing him to trip.

"Get out of there already!"

Kyle quickly grabbed the hem of the other guys uniform to prevent a fall.

"Hey, knock it out you filthy Jew bastard!" The SS soldier cringed at his touch, and pushed him away roughly, turning his attention to the mass of people, and started pulling them out of the door.

Kyle was furious at the unfriendly treatment he had received, and elbowed his way back through the confused crowd to the tall SS'er, tapping his shoulder in a demanding manner.

"Hey, what the fuck is up with you?" he raged. "Don't think you can treat people like that you bastard!"
The taller guy turned around at the insult, leaving the work for the numerous other SS'ers.

Straight chestnut bangs fell into his eyes and graced the nape of his neck. He wore a grey uniform consisting of a knee-long coat, black trousers and long leather boots like the rest of the soldiers. He had an artistically designed yet scary skull emblem on his hat and a similar one on his collar. His eyes were brown and right now they blazed with fury.

"I didn't quite hear you, Jew?" he menaced, leaning over Kyle.

He was considerably taller than Kyle, quite large with broad shoulders and strong upper arms. Kyle knew the guy could take him out in the blink of an eye – he wasn't that strong himself – and turn him into dog food, but he had to protect his dignity, and something about this boy's attitude bothered him excessively.

"I said don't treat people like that, you fat piece of shit!" Kyle said loudly, "I know it's hard being fat, but do you have to force your misery upon others?!" He had his fists balled up, ready to take the big guy down, though the idea of him winning a fight was ridiculous. The anger was so strong it was ringing in his ears.

The guy kicked out at Kyles shin and hit him hard. Kyle dropped to his knees grounding his teeth together from sheer pain. Damn that guy was very strong.

Said guy yanked him upwards by his hair bending his head backwards, interlocking their eyes. His expression had gone from anger to delight from having Kyle under control.

"I hope you'll realize soon enough that being foul-mouthed in front of the SS-TV soldiers wont encourage your case. I wouldn't want to see you shot." he smiled mockingly, voice dripping with viscous sarcasm.

"I hate you." Kyle spat with all the spite he could muster, fixing his gaze fearlessly at the other one. He couldn't be more than a year or two older than himself, and Kyle thought he looked too young to wear a uniform.

"Really?" the guy grinned, pulling roughly at his hair. "Do you want me to care?" he drawled, pausing as his curious eyes roamed Kyles faces as though trying to find some sign of weakness there. Kyle didn't even blink. "Interesting..." he concluded, his voice nothing but a low whisper. "I ought to shoot you right where you stand, Kike." Kyles felt his heart pound wildly in his chest and his exposed throat lacing up. The guy really looked scary, eyes twinkling with hidden malice and voice suggestively silky like that. "But I'm generous today, so I give you another chance," he continued, letting go of Kyles hair. His scalp throbbed. "One more word from you, and I swear I'll blow you head off..." his voice had trailed off and he scratched his chin thoughtfully before fixing his gaze upon Kyle, who had stumbled a few steps backwards. "But let's see if you'll make through the selection."

Kyle was about to ask, what selection he was talking about, but remembering the death threat from before restrained him, and he spun around to leave.

Kyles thoughts were whirling around in his head, as he was pushed along with the massive crowd toward a big, open space. What the fuck was up with that idiot, where the hell was he and what was that selection about? He was about to find out...

The people before him were divided into two lines, and whilst seeking out his family he was confronted by a middle-aged man in a white coat.

A doctor?

"Do you have any disabilities?" the doctor asked him straightforwardly.

"N-no." Kyle replied lamely, taken aback by the strange question. Where could his family be in all this?

"Can you work?" The doctor continued.

"I... I guess." Kyle nodded.

"Good for you. You go stand in the right line." He pointed. Kyle saw Ike in the same line as himself, and yelled to him. The younger boy shot Kyle a confident smile.

"Dad's in our line too. An SS man told me it's 'cos we have to work the hardest." He wrinkled his nose in repulsion.

"And mum?" Kyle asked. "Mum's in the left line somewhere. Guess she has to do something else. The most important thing is we have to work. We are gonna be all right Kyle!"

Kyle nodded. "Yeah!"

"Left line, follow me! Right line, wait for commands" An officer yelled, leading the left line away.

Kyle knew he ought to feel happy about the situation. Sure the SS soldiers treated them like rubbish, big news. At least they could get work here. Maybe he'd be able to afford some new clothes, and finally get friends. Maybe he'd be sent to school. As long as he didn't meet that unpleasant boy from the platform again, he'd be fine. That boy had really pissed him off, but now he was gone and things ought to be all right all things taken into account. Ike seemed cheerful as well. Hopeful... He had to focus on the bright side right now. He knew he couldn't let his little brother down.

And yet he felt strangely deluded as he watched the left line march away lead by the Nazi officer. They grew smaller and smaller between the barracks lined up on each side of them, and finally he lost sight of them as they disappeared around a corner headed towards the showers.

A/N: Okay, this chap might be a bit boring with all the family stuff

but whooo Cartman actually showed up...

It was pretty obvious which one it was, right?

Well, it was supposed to be.

There is gonna be more interaction between Kyle and Cartman in the next chapter so don't give up on this story just yet.