After his grandfather moved in, things have only gotten worse for young Johannes. He and his parents were worked like slaves while his grandfather continued to torture them. One day, Thaddeus came down slamming papers on the dining room table where Johannes was working.
"What's this?" Johannes asked.
"Your college application." Thaddeus said. "Start filling it out!"
"I'm only fourteen." Johannes protested. "I can't fill out this!"
"Why not?" His grandfather said. "You have straight As. You might as well."
"But, Sir." He said "You're not being rational. Think about when you were my age."
"When I was your age, I was killing Americans in the battlefield!" Thaddeus said. "Unlike you, I was actually doing something with my life. Now get to work!"
Johannes then filled out the application in a matter of hours. Unsurprisingly, he was rejected. When Thaddeus found out, he just kicked him to the floor and continued his verbal abuse.
"You never learn, do you? You stupid little boy." He said.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Johannes asked softly.
"You're friends with Jewish scum, so I'm going to treat you like Jewish scum. Regardless of whether or not you're a Nazi descendent." Thaddeus said.
"Anthony is not scum!" Johannes said.
"Don't you talk back to your master!" Thaddeus said shoving him to the ground. Nikolaus then came in.
"Stop it, Dad." He said. "Johannes is my son, and I'll punish him myself and however I want."
"Very well." Thaddeus said giving him a riding crop. "Go ahead. Punish him."
"No." he said. "I'm not hitting my own son. I'm not like you."
"If you don't. I will see to it that you don't take another breath without it causing pain to you."
"You wouldn't." He said.
"You're my son. I'll punish you myself and however I want. I helped kill over 11,000,000 filthy vermin, I'm not afraid to beat my own son to death." Thaddeus said. "Now be a man and hit your child!"
Reluctantly, Nikolaus raised the crop and whipped his son while Johannes screamed in pain. Thaddeus just smiled.
The next day at school, Johannes showed up in the courtyard bruised from the whipping he received last night. Ilsa and Anthony came up.
"Johannes." Ilsa said looking at the scars on his arms. (A/N: No, he's not suicidal. That's just part of where he was whipped). "What happened to you?"
"I don't want to talk about it." He said.
"You have to talk to someone." She said. "It's the only way people can help you."
"Ilsa's right, you know." Anthony said.
"I can't!" He said. "He's a Nazi general. He helped orchestrate the takeover of Europe during WWII alongside his best friend and Hitler. It's like you said, Anthony: 'Who's going to argue with someone who had half of Europe in the palm of his hand?' He wasn't just part of the SS, he was one of Hitler's personal bodyguards! And he's still under the delusion that Europe is still his to control just because of his social status."
"Johannes, please." Ilsa said softly. "You're only hurting yourself if you allow this to continue."
"What can I do?" He said on the verge of crying. "He's treating my parents like his personal slaves and he beats me for every mistake I make. If I tell someone, he'll find out and start hitting me more and make me say to them that I lied just to get attention. You two are all that I have left. I don't want to lose you too." He then knelt to the ground and sobbed loudly. Ilsa went over to him and put an arm around him.
"You won't lose us." She said softly. "We'll be with you until the very end."
"You promise?" He said still crying.
"I promise." She said wiping the tears from his eyes. She then grabbed his hand and lifted him up. Just then, two older kids came: The bully who was picking on Anthony on his first day and a black-haired kid in punk style clothing.
"Well. Well. Well." The first kid said. "If it isn't the lovebirds and Jew Boy."
"Hello, James." Anthony said to him. "Here to degrade us some more?"
"Well, yes, if you put it that way." James said.
"What do you want?" Ilsa said angrily. "Can't you see Johannes is hurt enough already?"
"Aww. Did Grandpa hit you again?" James teased. "I'm sorry, but that's what happens when you befriend scum like Anthony. The Holocaust should have gone on for much longer. More filth would have died off."
"With all due respect, James." Anthony said. "Weren't your grandparents sent to Auschwitz for being Gypsies?"
"Well, I'd rather not talk about it."
"So, James. Introduce me to your friends." The black haired kid said.
"Everyone, this is James Dunbar." He said. "He just moved here form America." James Dunbar then went up to Ilsa.
"Hey, Sweet Thing." He said. "How about you and I ditch these losers and we spend a nice romantic evening together."
"Get lost, you two-bit Casanova." She said.
"Fine then." He said. "But you'll be running back to me soon enough." He then walked off with the other James.
"Outta the way, Twerp." James Dunbar said shoving Johannes to the ground. Johannes just ignored them and headed off to class, he wasn't going to let anyone bother him because he knew at least someone would be there for him when he takes a blow.
Or so he thought.
A year had passed; Johannes and his parents were still under the iron fist of Thaddeus Stern. One day, Johannes witnessed something that he could never forget even if he tried. It was early on a Saturday morning. Johannes woke up to hear shouting coming from downstairs. Johannes went downstairs from his room to see Alexia, his mother, and Thaddeus getting into a heated argument.
"It's no wonder you haven't gotten my breakfast ready." He said. "I can't even rely on you or my idiot son to raise your own child right."
"We're raising him just fine. It's your methods that are wrong!" Alexia shouted
"My methods are the epitome of perfection. Otherwise half of Europe wouldn't be in my hand!"
"Thaddeus! The war is over and you lost. Live with it!" She shouted.
"You will not be defying my power as long as I'm the most superior in this household!" Thaddeus said. "Now get on your knees and beg for mercy!"
"We are not your servants, Thaddeus!" Alexia said shoving him back a few inches. "And we will not be treated this way!"
"So be it." Thaddeus said as he pulled out a revolver from his pocket and shot her square in the chest. She then fell to the ground.
"NO!" Johannes shouted running towards his dead mother. He then knelt down beside her and cried.
"You killed her!" He shouted. "You monster! You sick monster!"
"That's no way to talk to your master." Thaddeus said.
"You're not my master, you're my grandfather!" He said still crying.
"What's going on?" Nikolaus said as he walked in. He then noticed Alexia's body on the floor and Johannes crying. "Oh my God! Alexia!" He ran over to her body and held her in his hands.
"Grandpa did this." Johannes said in tears. "He and Mom were fighting and he pulled out a gun and… and…"
Johannes couldn't finish. His father then went and hugged him while they both cried. Nikolaus then lost his temper.
"You sick bastard!" He yelled as he ran up towards Thaddeus. But Thaddeus just grabbed his throat and pinned him to the wall.
"Please try to understand that this was for the best." Thaddeus said. "She was insubordinate, and those who are insubordinate need to be punished. You're lucky I didn't kill you when the war ended; you betrayed this country and allowed our enemies to win."
"You!" He said turning to Johannes. "Take the body and bury it in the yard immediately."
"But it's winter and I'm not even dressed yet." Johannes protested.
"A little snow ever hurt anyone." Thaddeus said. "Now get digging!"
Johannes then went outside. He knew this moment was going to haunt him forever.
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