14th March
22:59 GMT +1
"Oh."
I… Consider saying something, but I think it's better to let her work through this by herself for a moment.
I
think I remember that the Earth Prime version of Wewelsburg Castle was some sort of SS facility. The Earth 16 version was instead
technically controlled by the SS, but was mostly used as the centre of operations for the Thule Society. Which I imagine Himmler was tickled pink about, being the giant magic fanboy that he was. They actually based the Spear of Destiny's aegis here rather than in Berlin, a decision which allowed the Thulist magicians to monitor it full time but left it a little exposed. Once the US 3rd Armoured Division captured it, their attached shaman was able to end the spell and render what was left of the Third Reich open to Allied superheroes.
Of course, by that stage it probably only knocked a few weeks off the war…
"That is… What is it used for?"
"Part of it is a museum. Another is a youth hostel. And there's a fire station for the village.
"
"The-. The village is underwater on my Earth. The area was cleared after the war."
"Who owns it?
"
"It is a
Protectorate training centre, where the next generation of heroes are taught to use their powers."
"Not a Thulist chantry?
"
"
Thulist? No. They had little impact on the war. Certainly, they had no need for a
castle. Were things different here?"
"Without a kryptonian or Kryptonian weapons, the National Socialists relied on magic to keep out Allied superheroes. And of course, with no Overman, Germany's greatest hero was Captain Nazi.
"
"National Soc-." She frowns. "Unless he was actually from Bavaria, and his name was a joke? I don't think that he would call
himself 'Nazi'."
Huh. Obvious, when you think about it.
"Albrecht Krieger?
" She shakes her head. A fortunate escape for Lucky Hans, then.
"He was pretty powerful, but he was created by magic and I.. guess that your Germany didn't get heavily enough into that.
"
"No. The Fuhrer put a great deal of resources into understanding the technical data taken from Overman's pod. Since the returns were good, he would not have felt the need to continue working with such people. Germans were not comfortable with magic at the time."
She shakes her head.
"There is nothing for me here."
"The.. hostel part is still open. We can probably go in-.
"
"No, it… I should stop looking for points of similarity. That is a path only to disappointment." She turns away from the castle to look at me. "What happened to him?"
"Albrecht?
" She nods.
"He survived the war and went underground with his brother Wolf. They turned up in various places, working with… We'd call them 'fascist' groups.
"
"Italian expatriates?"
"No, right-wing, anti-Semitic, militant nationalists. Even tried living in America for a while, at the height of the Cold War.
"
"What is the 'Cold War'?"
"After National Socialist Germany was defeated, Europe was split between America and Company in the West and the Soviet Union in the East. Nuclear weapons meant that direct warfare was considered to be too risky by both sides, but they both hated each other, so… A war that never saw them directly fighting one another.
" I exhale sharply through my nose.
"The Americans wanted a powerful supersoldier badly enough that Albrecht
nearly got a job.
" I shrug.
"It didn't work out. They actually took part in an attack on the Watchtower in twenty ten, with help from National Socialist Russians.
"
She frowns. "Russians?"
"Yes.
"
"Russians who live in Russia?"
"Yes.
"
"But they are not Slavic? They were from another ethnic group?"
"No, no, mostly they were Slavs.
"
"Were they there to die in the service of the Master Race?"
"No.
" I think for a moment.
"Well, they didn't think so. That might have been the Kriegers' plan. But I think they just tippexed what Hitler wrote about Slavs in their copies of Mein Kampf. But we won and they
lost. The Kriegers escaped, and next time I ran into them was in Brazil.
"
"Does Brazil have a National Socialist government? Or a..
fascist government?"
"Not any more. They had an… Interest in a local man, but we were there first. We killed them, picked up a rather large bounty payment and I sent the Spear of Destiny to Atlantis for safe keeping.
"
"His spear was really the Spear of Destiny?"
"It's a very powerful magic spear. I don't know what its origin was, or whether it's the same spear mentioned in whatever arcane text you're thinking of.
"
"What did he want with the man in Brazil?"
"That's… Something I should probably check that he's okay with you knowing.
" I break eye contact, looking around the night time German countryside.
"Since it doesn't look like the Justice League is going to be able to send you home this evening, have you given any thought to where you'd want to stay?
"
"Not Germany, please."
"Yes, I guessed. And because -with all due-.
"
"You want me where you can see me."
"But you'd-.
"
She nods. "But not in a location that you consider secure. So not your mountain or your Superman's fortress. Are you suggesting your home?"
"I was going to suggest a hotel. You're welcome to my settee if you want it, but I think you might prefer a bed.
"
"I am hardly likely to sleep. Is there really nowhere on the Earth where National Socialists are in the ascendancy?"
"There… Are… A few isolated places inside some countries, but I don't know anyone in any of them. If you really want to meet them then I suppose that in the interests of balance I should let you, but they don't openly run hotels.
" She doesn't say anything for a few moments.
"I can
recommend a hotel-.
"
"Yes, that will-. I was just thinking about what I could do with myself while I am here. I cannot help in reopening the portal, but I will not be
work-shy."
Um.
15th March
17:29 GMT -5
Kaldur said yes.
"Everyone, this is Overgirl.
"
But…
Canis looks curious. Wallace and Richard regard me with incredulity. Ghia'ta and Arisia look like they know they're missing something but aren't sure what it is. Raquel has skipped straight to glaring. And the rest of the team don't look all that happy.
"She's going to be working with us for a little while.
"
