| IMPORTANT NOTES |

○ This is set between the tenth and eleventh books(Into the Gauntlet and Vespers Rising, respectively) of the 39 Clues, not including the certain flashbacks ○

○ I do not own either of the series. The 39 Clues belongs to Rick Riordan and Axis Powers Hetalia belongs to Himaruya Hidekazu ○

| After the second book: One False Note |

"This is the last straw!" a bespectacled Austrian man shouted, standing up and slamming both hands onto the table before him. "I've had it with them!"

The whole room was silenced by his sudden actions. Everyone took their sweet time to say anything. Well, except for a certain Prussian.

"Woah, cool it, Roddy," Gilbert told Roderich with a lax tone. "Remember...your blood pressure~" he teasingly said.

His jolliness was quickly ended by a frying pan to the face. A fuming Hungarian was unfortunately seating near him, and she managed to give him another painful blow with her trusted kitchen utensil.

"Be quiet while Roderich's speaking, you nitwit!" Elizaveta yelled into his ear.

Chaos had yet struck again in the European Union meeting. But, as always, there was the one person who never failed to cease the fray.

"VERDAMMT! WILL THE THREE OF YOU PLEASE STOP IT!"

Elizaveta and Gilbert shut their mouths as soon as they heard Ludwig scream. He was standing up and glaring at them with a glare as cold as ice.

"Now, both of you settle down." His tone was stern and dark.

Gilbert straightened up while Elizaveta rushed back to her seat beside Roderich.

"Erm...Danke, Ludwig," Roderich thanked his close German companion.

Roderich was the host of the meeting; he was seated at the very end of the long table. Most of the EU had come to the meeting, and he was very pleased about it. Yet the current emotion he was feeling wasn't anywhere near a kind of satisfaction. It was pure, blinding rage with a hint of disappointment.

"Everyone, I am truly sorry if I interrupted into your daily lives with this emergency meeting," he began.

Gilbert cut in, just to annoy their host. "Actually, you did — "

He failed to finish his statement due the frying pan suddenly flung at him.

Roderich coughed. "Ahem, as I was saying...I've called you to this emergency meeting so we can discuss a very important matter." He took a deep breath and darkly said, "The hunt for the 39 Clues."

No one spoke for a few moments after the host country said that. Roderich decided to continue.

"As we all know, the Cahill family is the very reason for this hunt. And this particular hunt has been going on for more than half of a millennium already. Their family feud has splattered blood across the pages of history, and I had just enough of it! Look at what they had done to Mozart's home! It is completely unacceptable!"

"...it's not like there's anything we can do about it."

All heads turned to a lone British man sitting at the other end of the table. His elbows were propped onto the table as he rested his chin on his entwined fingers. Arthur Kirkland had his eyes closed, and he wore an expression of deep solemnity.

"What..." The Austrian's brows furrowed. "How would you know a thing about it, Kirkland?"

"Well, for one..." Arthur opened his eyes, revealing a pair of emerald green orbs shooting daggers at Roderich. "...the Cahill roots all trace back to me."

"What are you..." Roderich paused in disbelief until he recalled an important fact. "Ah, yes. I remember now. I remember it perfectly."

He stepped away from his chair and slowly made his way down the long table. Once he reached Arthur's place, he stood beside the British man and was facing the long window behind Arthur. Light spilled into the dark room from that one, opened window.

Roderich folded his arms across his chest and stared out the window. "Gideon Cahill, his wife, and his children all originated from Ireland. If I am not mistaken, Ireland is under you, isn't it Arthur?"

The British man smirked. "A true fact, that is, Roderich."

"Then, you wouldn't mind telling me"— Roderich turned away from the bright window — "and all the people in this room" — he motioned to the other countries — "what kind of monstrosity have your people befallen onto the Earth for the past five hundred years?" Roderich asked, raising his voice at the very end.

Not a word was said. Neither by the other members of the EU nor by Arthur.

Later, he spoke up. "I cannot fully and elaborately explain the chaos my people had dealt to the world. But I can say this..." Arthur stood up and faced Roderich, putting their faces inches away from the other. "I have no full control over the actions of my people just as much as you do."

"Then what — " the Austrian tried to say before he was cut off by the Brit.

"You are in no position to complain about the Hunt's casualties for you are not the only one that has been affected."

Arthur gripped his chest as images from his past flashed before him. "I still bear the large scar I gained from the four-day fire in 1661. That, Roderich, was caused by the Cahill family. My family."

Roderich had nothing more to say. He was at a complete loss for words after listening to Arthur's counter-argument.

The Austrian sighed heavily. "This meeting has come to an end."

So...how was it? I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll be posting the next anytime soon.

P.S. I am not hinting any AustriaxUK here. Sorry to disappoint any fangirls who read this.