Masquerade : The blood sacrifice

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Dieter dangled Emma's stuffed animal in front of the crowd like some worthless rag. They were thirsty for blood.

"Dinner time's coming up, isn't it?" He let out a cruel laugh. "The Adler case - we'll wrap this up quick. Then we can all go home, sit at our fancy tables, enjoy our meals in peace." His words dripped with mock elegance.

Whispers rippled through the stands, spreading like wildfire. Here and there, nobles nodded their approval.

When Dieter faced Lukas, that damn Boar mask couldn't hide the sick pleasure in his eyes. The stuffed animal turned in his hands, revealing a spot that had been savagely torn open.

Lukas just stood there, head down, jaw clenched so tight you could hear his teeth grinding. Shadows played across his face.

"Would you look at this!" The Boar's voice boomed. His fingers dug into the torn fabric, fishing out something round.

The General's voice cut through the silence. "A holographic projector?"

"Oh, better than that." Dieter held it up for all to see. "This little beauty comes with its own mini-camera."

Floating there in the air - holographic scenes, one after another. The whole Svalbard landing played out through Lukas's eyes.

Then suddenly, there it was...

"That conversation with Frank..." Lukas's voice cracked. "That camera... where the hell did it come from?"

The room exploded. Behind his Bull mask, Major Jürgen's eyes went wide - something no one had seen before. Even Prince Evan lifted his head slightly, drawn in by the unexpected twist.

I knew I could trust you... The final scene faded away in front of the V-Gericht Court.

Dieter threw his arms wide. "Ladies and gentlemen of the court! The Adler case ends here!"

"You saw it with your own eyes!" His voice boomed through the chamber. "A Sergeant, refusing to kill a Renegade. Helping our enemies grow stronger. Creating a Darkland, piece by piece. And that conversation - proof of his alliance with the Fox!"

Lukas just stood there. Empty. His eyes fixed somewhere past the projector, seeing nothing.

The crowd lost it. Complete chaos.

"SILENCE!" The General's voice cut through it all like thunder.

"Not only do we have witness statements from his squad... and physical evidence matching these accounts of his betrayal. Thus, I declare Sergeant Lukas Adler - the one called Schwarzer Adler..."

Catching his breath, the General spat out, "Guilty! High treason against the Third Reich!"

Lukas froze. His blood turned to ice. Standing there speechless, eyes wide with terror, he knew the suffering ahead would be beyond imagination.

"Wait—" he choked out. "I never meant to betray—"

THWACK!
The kick was precise. Brutal. Dieter's boot slammed into Lukas's chest, right into his half-healed wound. Blood filled his mouth as the air left his lungs. The force shook his insides, leaving him gasping in agony.

Like puppets on strings, the V-Gericht assembly rose as one. Their cold stares fixed on Lukas while Dieter's mask barely concealed his satisfied smirk.

"Volksgerichtshof!

V for Volk (people) - justice belongs to Aryan people !

V for Vergeltung (vengeance) - retributions will be brutals !

V for Verrat (treason) - THE RENEGADE MUST BE PUNISHED !"

"The Vergeltung belongs to Marshal Evan Bloodwolf alone. Example for warriors and all that..." The General's voice dragged through the stale air.

Evan's scarlet eyes drifted left. Bored. Always so damn bored. "The red book," he said softly.

The General fumbled with the doctrine book's pages, then started reading punishment options while Lukas stood there, face white as death:

Rad der Schande - Strapped to a wheel. Hours of turning. High-ranks taking turns breaking titanium bones with techno-blades until nothing's left whole.

Erziehung durch Schmerz - Months of torture before they finally let you die.

Hungerbann - They throw you in a cage right in the middle of town, and you starve while everyone watches...

Evan's hand shot up. The General's mouth snapped shut.

For a long moment, the Marshal just stared at Lukas. His eyes held something old and tired - disappointment maybe, or some ghost of what used to be.

"Evan..." Lukas's voice cracked on the name. Looking for mercy where there wasn't any left to find.

The Marshal kept watching him. Like he was memorizing something about to disappear forever. Then he turned to Dieter, face empty as stone.

"Captain." Just a whisper. That's all it took.

Dieter's eyes crawled up to the throne. Behind his mask, a sadistic smile spread.

"Tradition says an Arkaryan warrior who exposes a Renegade gets promoted... and picks the traitor's sentence..."

Dieter didn't let the Prince finish. He spat out words that shattered Lukas's heart, made blood surge through his veins until his wound burst open. Blood sprayed from Lukas's mouth.

Like some cheap theater actor, Dieter flung his arms wide. Emma's stuffed toy dangled from his fingers as he bellowed:

"Familienstrafe! For influential traitors - we arrest the whole family. Humiliate them. Execute them all in public. No trial."

Dead silence. Then, one by one, the nobles started nodding. Perfect revenge for a Renegade.

"Die... Dieter..." Lukas's mind went blank. Panic ate his words.

"Die... Dieter..." Round and round, like a broken record. Like he was trapped in some nightmare he couldn't wake from.

Prince Evan caught the fear in Lukas's eyes. His crimson eyes narrowed just slightly. For a moment, he bit his lip.

Then, cool as winter: "So be it."

The crowd lost their minds - pure savagery about to explode right in front of them.

Dieter ruled this nightmare now.

Everything calculated, perfect. His men lurked in shadows, twitchy fingers waiting for the Captain's nod to drag the Adlers into this hell-show.

Some grunt yanked Lukas's mother center stage like a ragdoll. Bruises everywhere. Clothes shredded from fighting back for God knows how long. Just... empty. Those blue eyes seeing nothing anymore.

"What did they..." Lukas could barely choke the words out. He stumbled up, blood seeping from his chest. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?!"

Then his scream died in his throat. Different horror now.

Emma. Blindfolded. Gagged. Just meat on some boar-masked bastard's shoulder before he dumped her next to her mother in the V-Gericht.

"Wait-" His voice cracked like a kid's. "Stop. Please... Me. Take me instead... my fault anyway..."

Lukas ripped his uniform open, swaying. Smiled all wrong. "See? I'm right here... do whatever... just..." Blood dripped. Words failed.

"OBJECTION!" Major Jürgen's voice thundered, eyes blazing with purpose.

"Major?" Lukas stared, bewildered.

The lion-masked General whirled toward Jürgen. "Major? Your V-diger status means nothing now. Your unit's shame is complete."

"Schwur der Auslöschung - The Renunciation Pact." Jürgen's voice stayed steady. "To escape condemnation, families can sign away everything. Name. Property. Memories - through Mindfall. Swear to never speak of the Renegade again."

Dieter's finger jabbed at the Adlers. "Look at them. What memories? That woman's dead inside - can't swear anything anymore."

A cruel smirk twisted under his mask. "And the girl? Black Order's direct command, eleven months back - Mindfall procedure. No implants meant no tech would work, so..." He let out a dark chuckle. "Protocol required... manual adjustment to her brain."

"What-" Lukas choked.

"Oh, you wouldn't know. Mindfall victim yourself. Easier with your implant though." Dieter sneered. "Your psych profile needs yearly reboots. Keeping you regime-compliant."

He tapped his head mockingly. "Heard you telling her black eagle stories. Things you were supposed to forget. Black Order decided - she had to forget too. Can't have her spilling your past."

"You mean..." Lukas's voice came out thin, broken.

"YES! Finally getting it? Her silence all this time? That's on you."

"Oops... partly my fault too." Dieter's mask couldn't hide his smile. "Cursed day I became your Captain. Black Order makes Captains handle yearly reboots, so... had to make some... adjustments to your sister."

Suddenly Lukas exploded upward despite his chest wound, blood spraying through the air, eyes black with darkness. Nothing left to lose. His body melted toward Dieter with impossible speed, even without an exoskeleton.

His fist clenched so tight the flesh split under pressure - titanium-alloy reinforced bones more than capable of crushing his Captain's skull.

"DIETEEEEEEER!" The rage-filled roar shattered the crowd's silence.

Fear flashed in the Captain's eyes as Lukas swooped like an eagle on a rat.

CRACK.
Lukas's head exploded against concrete, crushed by a giant's hand.

"You've shamed the Wikings enough." Major Jürgen's violence-filled eyes bore down, his massive palm grinding Lukas's split skull into the floor. Titanium bone gleamed through torn flesh.

Lukas just breathed hate. Pure rage. Even under the Aurochs of doom's titan strength, his head inched up, murder-eyes locked on Dieter.

Still such power, after everything... Must end this now. Jürgen's mind raced.

One hand knotted in the sergeant's hair, the Major hurled him at a concrete wall. Followed the spinning body like a monster's charge... When Lukas hit, Jürgen's mass crushed him in an explosion of debris. Blood cascaded from the sergeant's mouth.

Panic rippled through the stands. High-ranked officials shifted uneasily at this twisted turn of ceremony.

"Chain him!" Lion-mask General barked. Elite warriors moved with mechanical precision.

• • •

Chained spread-eagle to the V-Gericht walls, Lukas hung bleeding. Chest wounds split wide open, head slumped, consciousness flickering like a dying light. Each breath heavier than stone.

"LUKI?"

Emma's voice cut through darkness. Lukas's eyes - usually warm brown - now midnight black, lifted. Pain screamed through every nerve... but seeing his sister and mother's shapes, something broke.

"AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!"

His roar staggered the crowd, stunned by the black eagle's fury.

Then the mob turned. Started jeering:

"RENEGADE SCUM!" Noble voices echoed through the chamber, over and over.

• • •

"Pathetic..." Dieter's mocking drawl.

"Bring in the cremation furnace!" he commanded.

Lukas, helpless now, could only whisper.

"Stop..."

"Stop..."

"Stop..."

Noble laughter and jeers drowned his words, flooding his skull.

The Warg snarled, saliva splattering across the stage. Blood-red eyes from Prince Evan Bloodwolf silenced it instantly. The beast shrank back.

Evan showed nothing but boredom. Rose from his throne with casual grace, adjusted his fur cape just so, then glided toward the V-Gericht exit.

"Evan..."

"no please…EVVAAANNN!"

Lukas thrashed against steel chains like a wild thing. The Führer's son never looked back - just vanished into dark corridors.

✽✽✽

Air turned toxic. Sharp metallic stench filled everything as furnaces growled to life. Captain Dieter's twisted smile gleamed as he adjusted controls with deliberate slowness.

"Watch closely, Herr Lukas." His fingers danced across the panel. "Temperature's just low enough for you to... enjoy the show."

Luka's heart slammed against ribs - thud-thud-thud like war drums.

CLANG!
His left hand yanking the chain raw.

His mother dragged like a rag doll toward those waiting mouths of steel.

CLANG!
His right hand bleeding now on rusted links.

His mother... shell-woman with hollow eyes... but even empty vessels leak tears.

She turned - so slow, like time itself was drowning. Last look for her son.

She smiled... peacefully in hell's maw.

Then...

Her screams shredded the air. That soft voice that used to sing him lullabies twisted into something inhuman.

Emma was sobbing : "Luki... Luki..."

"MAMA!...EMMA, NOO!"

CLANG CLANG CLANG!
His chains wailed against concrete while his body danced to her mother's dying song.

His sister's turn now. They dragged Emma's body to the second furnace. Slow. So damn slow. She couldn't know what was coming.

But she knew something else, hearing Dieter.

"Luki... Not... Not your fault..."

"I... I love you 'cause you're kind."

"Em...Emma?" Lukas broke down at this miracle—her first complete sentence ever.

Dieter looked just as shocked. The Mindfall hadn't worked right...

"Get rid of this one already!" he snapped, pissed at his failure.

"Please... STOP THIS!" Lukas's voice cracked. Nobody listened. His screams got weaker, rougher.

The nobles laughed. Some even placed bets on who'd last longer.

Emma screamed.

Blind rage took over. Lukas yanked his chains so hard his arm skin started tearing. Blood ran down, but pain didn't matter anymore. Flesh ripped off in chunks, hot blood spraying the pristine floor.

"I'LL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!"

The muscles in his wrists shredded, fiber by fiber, as he thrashed like a wild animal.

"I... I'LL SLAUGHTER YOU ALL!"

Eyes rolling wild. Lukas couldn't stop them. The stench hit him first—flesh burning somewhere. Human flesh.

SLASH! CRACK!
The chain ripped into his other arm. Skin peeled away in strips, dancing like ribbons. His rage made them dance faster.

Blood sprayed the front row nobles. They stumbled back. Horror on their faces but eyes glued to him—the Black Eagle losing his mind.

"Luki..." Barely a whisper now.

"MAKE IT STOP!" His throat tore from screaming.

"STOP IT STOP IT STOP—" Was that even his voice anymore?

Emma's screams. Her mother's screams. But each silence hurt worse than their screaming ever did. Something in Lukas's head just... broke. Like mirror shards scattering across marble floors.

CRACK! SPLATCH!
His chain caught his feet. Flesh slapped wetly against the floor. Titanium bones gleamed under the courtroom lights, all surgical metal and wires where his feet used to be. His wrists too—just bloody metal now, catching light through the red mess.

"Em... Emma... M-mom..."

Just animal sounds now. His face was wet—tears, blood, he couldn't tell anymore. Dark tracks down his pale skin.

The furnaces went quiet. One by one. And that silence... that silence was worse than any scream could ever be.

• • •

It ended in blood, and must be sealed with one final blood sacrifice.

The General came dragging the Warg—the wolf of betrayal. Metal scraped stone, chains singing their death song against cold ground.

SHLACK!
One brutal slice opened the wolf's throat. Its final howl marked the sentence done. Lukas just stood there, dead-eyed, not even a blink left in him.

The Warg's blood crept like a crimson snake, slithering across white stone until it touched his broken feet.

"ZEICHEN DER SCHANDE!" Major Jürgen's voice cracked through the air like thunder. Wiking honor needed blood to wash it clean.

His hands would do it—mark the traitor's flesh with blue iron that killed cells. Brand him with his crime:

An Eagle turned upside down—carved forever into flesh and mind of the RENEGADE.