Warning: AU –Second World War
M-Rated!Contains coarse language, violent imaginary related to the context of war, and sex.
I do not own South Park. I do not own anything. I wish I was that f* genius!
One year and three months ago
Stan sensed a light flashing repeatedly in front of his closed eyes. He woke up feeling numb, but his brains urged him to get up. Once his eyes were open, he realized it was still in the middle of the night. His room was dark. Then he saw the yellow light flickering madly against the wall. He stared sleepily at the light, his sluggish mind trying to figure out what it was. Suddenly his eyes widened greatly. His heart pounded in panic, while his stomach sunk.
"Kyle!" He screamed while he sat up on his bed.
He quickly ran to his window. A dreadful feeling of despair spread through his whole body, when he saw the military truck parked a few blocks away from his home. Stan lost the feeling in his legs, when he saw soldiers break down the front door and enter the old building. The one where Kyle and his family were hiding. He panted from sheer terror and despair and ran out of his room.
"Mom! Dad! The Nazis discovered the Broflovski's hideout!" Randy practically ran out of his room, wearing only his underwear, Sharon followed him, wearing a dressing gown. Both looked as pale as Stan was.
"Oh no." Stan turned around to see Shelly staring back at him, looking absolutely terrified. Even she was scared for the Broflovski's fate. In no time, the Marsh family stood outside, standing close to each other, protecting each other from the cold and fear.
"What's going on?" Randy asked to some people that stood already on the street. Most of them were their neighbors. German citizens that didn't suspect anything about the Marsh family's involvement in protecting a Jewish family. And it wasn't tonight that they would discover, if that was up to Randy. He had done all within his power to help his friend Gerald, Sheila and the boys. But now he had his own family to protect.
"Seems like some Jews were hiding in that place over there." One of the neighbors answered.
"The shitholes! They were so used to their perfect luxurious lives that they prefer living hidden like rats, than work in the railways." A woman said, her voice tainted by anger and despise. "Serves them well."
Stan stared shocked at the woman. She was the owner of a small grocery shop in the end of the street. He remembered he and Kyle used to go there every day after school and buy a chocolate. She always had been kind to them. He remembered she always liked Kyle more and complimented him often for being the smart one and for his good manners. But now, she appeared as a stranger to him. She was a corrupted version of that kind lady from the grocery shop. She had become unrecognizable with the uncharacteristic hatred filling her eyes, her mouth twisted downwards in disgust. He stared at his mother and she slowly shook her head in warning. He could see she was equally shocked as him.
"There they are, the thieves!" Somebody across the street shouted. Stan saw to his horror four people walk out of the old building. Their faces were white and shallow and looked like ghosts in their overlarge dark coats.
"Send them to work in the railways!" The grocery woman shouted outraged, a sickening despise consuming her being.
"How do you know that's where they are sending them?" An old man with a worried face asked. "I've hear some horrific tales." The grocery woman gave him an arrogant defying look.
"Oh, really. And what are they?"
"That Jews are brought to places to be tortured and killed." The old man said with a concerned look.
"Huh. Serves them well." The grocery woman muttered and Stan felt sick.
What had any Jew done to her so she came to hate them this much? What had happened that made people change, lose their Humanity and become beasts? Stan's gaze fell on the old man's face. His eyes were hollow and Stan instinctively knew, he had lost Jewish friends too. He felt his eyes prick and tears threatened to spill. The first soldiers walked past him. He saw Gerald walk with his head down, followed by Sheila, who held Ike's hand. And then Kyle. The redhead didn't have his eyes casted down, he kept his head up, never allowing himself to lose his dignity. He scanned the faces of those who stared back at him. Suddenly, his green eyes found Stan.
Their gazes were locked for mere seconds, but time could have as well had stopped still. The world could as well had been obliterated and ceased to exist completely. Because in those short seconds, Stan saw everything in those green eyes. Love, compassion and friendship. Sadness, anxiety and sorrow. He recognized the glint of determination, will and bravery. He saw the essence of Kyle's being. He saw his soul. Stan saw everything in that gaze, except fear.
Stan knew Kyle well. They were best friends since kindergarten. They shared everything during their childhood. Since little treats to important secrets. But during the last three and a half years, the period the Broflovskis lived hidden, Stan had come to learn a much wiser and thoughtful Kyle. His friend had matured quickly in a short time. The innocent child was forced to grow up by dealing with unfair signs of discrimination and social bully. The pre-teen was confronted with a world of growing restrictions and absurd unfairness. The teenager was finally deprived from freedom and lived hidden in a small place where privacy was a strange concept. Stan wiped his eyes dry and took a deep determined breath. Kyle would survive. As long as the Nazis didn't break him, Kyle would accept any challenge head on. He was not one to give up easily.
Stan had always been marveled by his friend's optimism and persistence. While Stan was the one living in freedom, he easily became depressive from the crazy world surrounding him. Kyle, on the other hand, listened to the world's developments with a blink of hope. Kyle had told him once, everything happened for a reason. He believed bad things had to happen, impossible challenges had to appear, and misery had to sometimes rule the world. Because in all this negativity, there was always an important lesson to learn. "After all, you learn the best from making mistakes" Kyle had once said. So while Stan was revolted with the world that became increasingly ruthless, his friend came in peace with it. While Stan became frustrated with Kyle's forced "incarceration", Kyle valorized it, because at least he and his family were together. While Stan lost faith in God, Kyle found Him everywhere and in everything. Kyle wasn't a dreamer, neither a hopeless optimist. He simply believed in Humankind. The redhead had told him once, the singulars stood among the masses. And these singulars would be the ones to break this circle of insanity. The singulars were always the hope for the world. Kyle's hope.
Tonight Stan did nothing and yet he did everything. Tonight Stan was one of the masses. His action was not to move, not to yell out his friend's name, not to cry in public. Tonight his goal was to remain alive and unsuspected. Because what good do you have when you are dead?
It was when Kyle carefully casted his eyes down, protecting Stan from the Nazis, that he finally understood. The reason Stan kept hitting a bottomless pit in his depressions was because he kept trying to make a right turn. He finally understood Kyle's wise words when he told him once, "Sometimes all you need is to make a left turn". This was what Kyle had done all these years. This was the reason he accepted everything so easily. The reason he surpassed his fears. Because Kyle knew there was always a way to circumvent a difficult phase or situation.
Stan watched the vehicle's doors be shut. The heard the engine start. And watched the military truck drive away. His eyes followed it until it disappeared in the end of the street, when it took a bend. This was not goodbye.
He followed his parents and sister back inside his warm and safe home. He felt revolted, angry and anxious. Without a word, Stan headed to his room and cried. Like the old man, Stan too had heard the rumors. That the Nazis took the Jews to large working camps and tortured them daily with hard work. He heard rumors talk about places where Jews were massively executed. And he prayed they weren't taking Kyle there. He was worried sick with his best friend's well-being.
"Sometimes all you need is to take a left turn".
Stan didn't sleep that night. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Kyle outside. His pale face and his piercing eyes. He knew what Kyle would have done if he was in his shoes. And this time, Stan decided to take his friend's advice and make the left turn. Stand decided that, instead of going against the world, he needed to blend with it. Instead of resisting the Nazis, he needed to befriend with them. Instead of sabotaging them, he needed to support them. Stan decided to leave the masses and become the singular. So he stayed up the whole night scheming and plotting. Just like he did the following nights. Until days later, his plan was well thought out, flawless and ready to put into action. Stan figured out a way of using the Nazi's powers and knowledge to his own advantage. The Nazis would help him find his best friend. They would, unsuspiciously, provide him with everything he needed to save a Jew.
Stan realized with a smile. Sometimes the left turn was the right one.
…
The present
"So, Herr Marsh…" Herr Cartman began, after Kyle and Butters were finally tired from the jam session and needed a rest.
"Call me Stan, no need for all that formality." The dark haired boy dismissed, while he allowed the fat Nazi to pour some whiskey in his glass.
"Stan… I've heard you have acquired yourself a factory recently. Am I right?" Herr Cartman asked in a curious tone. Kyle, who sat pretty close to Herr Cartman, knew he was camouflaging his business interests. He listened to their conversation with attention.
"That would be correct." Stan proudly said.
"Wow, and in such a young age. You must have really rich parents." The fat Nazi kindly said but Kyle could sense the ice under it. He knew this was the first or a series of questions he would throw into the conversation, with the goal of figuring out if the business was reliable and it Stan was a good client. He knew the fat Nazi was going to take conclusions of whatever Stan answered and use it for his manipulation and business strategies.
"Not really. Just average. I did spare some savings the last years, so I had a small head start. But I must confess, it's thanks to the sponsoring of some high ranked Party members that made it possible to buy the factory."
"I see you have fallen under the good grace."
"Well, I do try my best." Stan said in a modest manner. Kyle knew he was winning Herr Cartman's interest. The fat Nazi hated spoil rich guys, as well as arrogant and self-glorifying types. He figured out Stan had been doing his homework.
"So…What is your product?"
"Uniforms. From the mere soldier to the Chief-High Commander." Stan then came a little bit closer and spoke with a secretive tone. "If the business goes well, I might go into the civilian fashion line and let me inspire by some traits of the Nazi models." Kyle hid a grin of satisfaction. Stan had definitively done his homework. Herr Cartman's obsession in spreading the Nazi's ideology was his weak point.
"Brilliant. Ideology propaganda through clothing!"
"Exactly. From children, to housewives, office functionaries, you name it! Of course, these are just plans for the future. I have to make sure the factory produces enough capital to survive its first year and make sure to have profit in the following ones."
"Why not start right away?"
"I don't really have the investment for it. Employees are expensive." Stan said in a chuckle, clearly opening the game to the fat Nazi. Herr Cartman bit the bait eagerly and leaned closer.
"Not if they are Jews." Herr Cartman whispered. Stan locked his gaze on the fat Nazi's brown eyes. He had to hide his double feelings of disgust for human trade and triumph for the cruel Nazi falling in his net of lies.
"What are you suggesting?"
"Buy Jews. Sure it's an initial investment, but I assure you, it will compensate." Herr Cartman's eyes darted from Kyle, to the guests and back to Stan. "And guess what? I'm selling Jews from meh camp."
A/N - things are about to get interesting!