The Last Man from the Photo

The group had just started to catch their breath as another man appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Shion gave a quick flex of her wrist to make sure it was healed enough to function properly.

Before the man could speak or unsheathe his weapon, Shion had already stolen one of Chizuru's blades and separated the man's head from his body. As his lifeless corpse collapsed to the floor with a thud, the rest of the group was left utterly speechless. 

The man was clad in the black dress clothes which Shion and Chizuru often wore themselves. On his shoulders were golden woven braids on a red background with three small diamonds. This man was one of the highest ranking general under Hitler and Prime minister Tojo. The man was armed with an automatic rifle, his gloved fingers still gripping the handle. If he had been able to fire it, all or most of the group would have been killed within seconds. 

Shion gently handed Chizuru her blade back. She picked up the general's lifeless head and stared at his face with a disgusted expression on her face. She muttered, "remember, sometimes people who were thought dead are just wearing someone else's face".

Shion turned to address her confused companions, "That's what Dr. Yamashita said. Does anyone else recognize this man?" Shion faced the man's head in the direction of the group.

Seeing the man's face unlocked a memory in Chizuru. Adam and Kana tied up and blindfolded with the middle-aged Lt. pointing a gun at their heads. Chizuru held one hand against her face and looked up, "It's him."

Shion replied ,"Yes, the man who killed my parents. Hitler's current right hand man in New Japan. But that's not all. I'm 100% sure this is actually Klaus Hofferman, founder of the cult. Remember what Yamashita said? This guy may not look like the last man in the photo but why else would he be here? You and I know a high ranking officer like that would never show up in person, they would send one of us, right Chizuru?"

Chizuru replied, "Yeah that's totally true...," she made eye contact with Adam who looked as lost and terrified as a child who had been separated from its adults. "Uh Shion, maybe take a second to get the big guy up-to-date? Sayaka and I will go check on all those soldiers that are down on the beach." Chizuru gave Shion a tight squeeze before heading towards the beach.

Shion turned to Adam and instantly felt like she would be judged for some of her life choices, but he would hear it all eventually from someone else; so it was better if it came from her. Shion let out a sigh, "Papa I don't have the time to tell you all the details, but I can give you a summary of what happened while you were...gone. First of all, I'm really sorry, but that Nazi bastard over there killed you and mom almost 10 years ago. I saw the whole thing. Since then I have been a part of the Rebellion. I got new eyes, lots of training, I use nanites, and now I'm a Rebellion spy in the SS. I'm actually the youngest colonel in Nazi history. And that girl over there, Chizuru, I'm gonna marry her."

Adam sat slowly blinking as if he was having a hard time processing all the information that Shion just blurted out. Tears began to roll down his face as he slowly began to make sense of what Shion was telling him.

He looked up at Shion and slowly began talking, "So we died? Does that mean...that... Kana?"

With a pain filled expression, Shion shook her head.

Adam's sobs were loud enough that Chizuru and Sayaka could hear them from the shore.

Adam continued to cry and asked Shion, "And you? Who took care of you when we were gone? That must have been so hard on you."

Shion smiled wryly, "No one really took care of me. People watched out for me, but I went a long time without any real affection or TLC. Sayaka tried, but I wasn't ready for that at the time. The only other person who showed me any kind of affection and love is Chizuru."

Adam stopped crying and responded, "I'm glad that you at least were able to find love. But tell me who is she? She's clearly Upperclass, but knows who you really are?"

Shion laughed, "It's funny you should ask considering you are the reason she defected. Do you remember that soldier you offered a meal to and led back to the upper city? That young girl's life changed because of what she saw that day, and when they killed you, that was the last straw."

Adam's eyes brightened a bit at the thought of having changed the way that an Upperclass thought about the world. 

"Anyways papa, we have got to get going. The area may be flooded with soldiers soon now that they aren't hearing from the dead guy there, and probably felt the explosion. Matt will update you on all the ugly details. Papa, I'm not the good little girl you remember. I've done terrible things."

Shion picked up her father, grabbed the general's head, and met the other two down by the shore. A few thousand soldiers laid stiff and still on the beach. They were alive but appeared to be deactivated. Their breathing was shallow,  the soldiers, unresponsive to touch.

Sayaka had a theory, "Chizuru told me about the room with computers and stuff under the lab, maybe when that blew up whatever was controlling the chips shut down. Whatever it is,  we need to go so our people can come do something about all these people before the tide comes in and drowns these poor fuckers."

Shion replied, "Yeah and my papa needs medical attention. Let's hurry to Matt, then me and Chizuru have a mess with the military to clean up. No one who saw what we are doing is still alive, so we should be able to go back to our positions without difficulty."

In about an hour, the group made it back to the tunnels and back to Matt's station. The trip was a mostly silent one as everyone was exhausted from the whole ordeal, and most of them were processing very heavy emotions.  Sayaka at the loss of her love to another. Shion at regaining her dead father and defeating the ones who ruined her life in the first place. Adam at the realization that he and his wife were killed and his daughter suffered greatly while they were gone. Chizuru was the only one who wasn't suffering herself, but seeing Shion in pain made Chizuru's heart hurt. Thus, all were silent until the fluffy haired Cooper came to greet them at the entrance. Rather than a true greeting though he turned and ran when he saw Adam, dropping his weapon in a full on sprint.

Matt came running from Cooper's direction, disheveled and stumbling. He struggled to open up the lock as tears streamed down his face. Once he got it open, he ran up to Adam and hugged him. Adam, still on Shion's back, then turned and punched Matt square on the jaw. As Matt stumbled back, Adam yelled, "That's for letting my daughter get wrapped up in the Rebellion."

Oh geez, Shion thought, Matt had predicted something like this would happen when he let her do the training course in the first place. 

Shion interjected, "Sorry to interrupt your little reunion but Papa is actually badly injured, and I have stuff for you Matt. Have Sayaka update you on everything. Me and Chizuru need to change. We have a hell of a mess to clean uptop."

Shion placed her father in a chair before giving him a hug. She then tossed Dr.Yamashita's body parts and neurolink on the counter to Matt, and turned to Chizuru and grabbed her hand. The two hastily got dressed into their uniforms, then Shion popped her blue pill and bye, bye brown hair. Shion grabbed the general's head and the two set out for the upper city.

Communication channels were back online and messages about all the invaders suddenly collapsing could be heard across the emergency broadcast system. Shion beemed Sgt. Honda to take the team and ensure the safety of the citizens, and gather the corpse and files of Dr. Feist. Meanwhile, Shion and Chizuru paid a visit to Hitler and the prime minister.

Shion and Chizuru snuck their way up the golden tower which housed only the most elite. At the very top were the personal quarters of the prime minister. Neither Chizuru nor Shion had the proper security clearance to enter this area, but lucky for them nearly all the guards collapsed. They must have been part of the spies that Dr. Yamashita was talking about. The two walked right into the office where a pitiful Tojo and Hitler were cowering under a finely decorated desk.

The two kneeled before the desk, and Chizuru spoke "My Fuhrer, prime minister, we come bearing gifts. We found who was responsible for the invasion of the city and the tattooed troops."

Shion rolled his head over to the men. "Here is his head, my team is securing the city, and I have another team compiling the evidence against the general."

Hitler took a look at the head and spat on it. He began swearing viscously in several different languages before he addressed Shion and Chizuru. "Lt., Colonel, I thank you for your service. I am truly grateful. What can I do to thank you for ridding us of this traitorous scum? We suspected him of treason for a while but never thought the general would go quite this far or had so many resources at his disposal.

Shion replied as the higher ranking of the two, "Honestly, I just want to take my fiance and go home to our kitty. We have had one hell of a time and we just want it to end."

The quirky little man grabbed a bottle of champagne that was sitting in a bucket of melted ice on the desk and cracked it open, "Of course Colonel, but first, congratulations are in order, " he poured out four glasses, " We celebrate your engagement and the continued success of the Nazi empire. Long live Hitler."

They all toasted together, "Long live Hitler!" After waiting for a few members of Shion's battalion to take over palace security, she and Chizuru hastily made their way back to the barracks.