A/N: this is from Thomas's POV. It's when he's in the process of turning bad, sometime after Arvid gets beaten up by Emil and those other HJs. If I get reviews and you like it, I may add and make it longer. Enjoy!

Hepcat Can't be Broken

All my life I believed that all men were equal. All my life I've looked up to the exact people that I shouldn't have. People like Count Basey and Benny Goodman. Blacks. Jews.

I owe Peter. I owe him more than I could ever pay him.

Because of him, I joined the HJ. Because of them, I've realized that I've been wrong all of my life. All men are created equal, yes, except for the one race. The super race. The Aryans.

I was young and stupid. I had no idea that I was part of something special. No idea that I was more important than the people around me. No idea.

Arvid is my friend. We fight on occasion, but what friends don't? All things considered, he really is my friend. That's how I think of him. I want so much for him to realize what I have realized. I want him to know the one truth that only the Nazis know. But I can't blame him… it must be hard to realize that you are worse than everyone else. If he ever did discover that the Aryans really are superior, he would feel horrible that he couldn't be part of it. That he is a cripple.

If only I could convince him. If only I could somehow prevent him from poisoning his own mind by listening to that music and idolizing those people…

I love swing. I truly do. But only the music, nothing more. Once you cross that line it becomes a sort of loony cult. It's all stupid. Poor Arvid is across that line. This music… he worships it. And what has his precious music given him in return? Two broken fingers. Nothing more.

And what has Hitler given me? Everything I could ever ask for.

Security. I never have to fear the Nazis. Unlike all of those dumb Swing Kids.

Respect. I might as well be a god. Not only do I have the Aryan blood in me, but people get out of my way. They give me things. They respect and fear me.

And I owe it all to Peter.

Hepcat can't be broken, but it is just the same…