Two faces peered out of the thick, thorny umbrage carefully. They scrutinized the dark, murky fortress before them and analyzed the situation.

"Okay," began America, his tone of voice slightly hinting impatience. "Blue has been kidnapped again."

"No surprise there," England added.

"And we need to rescue her."

"No problem there! Oh "

"So what are we waiting for?"

England looked down, disappointed. "I forgot my book."

"Forget it England. You don't need a book to save Blue."

"Yeah I do," he argued fervently. "It's my lucky book."

America waved the subject off. "It doesn't matter. Come on, you bookless freak, let's get a move on."

The two Boys crept stealthily towards the castle gates, hoping their mission would go as smoothly as all the others.

"Let me go, you big, ugly brute!" Blue kicked and shouted as she was carried over 2P!England's shoulder.

"No use fighting Girl. You know you love me."

"Ugh, someone gag me, please."

2P!England stopped walking. "You mean it?"

Blue gawked in disgust. "Ewe! NO!"

The baker/killer shrugged and continued walking down the hall to the dungeon. "Just checking."

"Pervert "

Depositing the Girl on the floor, he stepped back and grinned smugly.

"All you have to do is say the magic word Blue, and you can have your freedom."

"Tsk, yeah freedom from these ropes! Find some other broad to kidnap. There's no way I'm marrying you."

2P!England sneered at her and crossed to the exit. "Why don't you think about it?"

"In your dreams!" she shouted as the thick, wooden door to the prison slammed loudly. Sighing dejectedly, Blue shifted her weight to make herself more comfortable in the barely lit cellar. She jumped at the sound of immediate growling, snarling, maybe even barking. Swallowing, she wondered just what was in the dungeon with her when she was distracted by another noise; a nearby pipe's lid, which had been nailed shut, came crashing off, and out popped the boys. Blue, of course, was ecstatic.

"Oh, America! And ...who are you?"

Casting a confused glance around him, England shrugged. "England. Who else would I be?"

" oh yeah! Didn't recognize you without the book."

The young man frowned at his friend who had already started to loosen the ropes from Blue.

"I'm so glad you two are here!" she breathed. "I have a bad feeling that we're not alone."

At this point, the door slammed open again and 2P!England stormed in.

"Well, not anymore at least," grumbled America.

2P!England roared. "What's this? America?" He turned to the younger boy with an odd look on his face. "Who the heck are you?!"

Exhaling heavily, England threw his hands up in the air. "I'm England! Geez "

"Oh right! By the way, you're missing your book. Well, countries, this is a nice surprise."

"No kidding. Considering we meet you about every other week "

"That's beside my point. I'll let you have the Girl "

"Really?" the duo exclaimed in unison.

" if you can get past my latest form of defense."

"And that would be?" asked America, unfazed.

"You'll see." Nothing happened for a second or two, until they noticed the low growling. Cautiously, America crept closer to the sound which came from behind a steel barred gate.

"Well, I hear it," England commented just before the thing coughed and a big pile of spit flew into his friend's face.

" I feel it," America grumbled, wiping it off with his sleeve disgustedly. Blue looked over his shoulder as two ugly yellow-orange eyes pierced the dark cage.

"Now I see it!" she cried out, gulping.

"Stand back!" America shouted as the gate lifted. More angry yellow eyes joined the first pair, and the boys had a feeling these creatures didn't come in peace. A troop of Koopas emerged from the cage, but these were no ordinary overgrown reptiles. These turtles were ravenous, wild, and far more threatening. America, England and Blue were quite anxious as they were surrounded in what was slowly becoming a ring of wild Koopas.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," America mumbled.

"I don't think 2P!England is sane anymore! What did you do to them?" cried England, staring nervously at the angry, red-shelled animals.

"That's none of your concern. Right now you should be running for your lives."

"Their like rabid dogs," noticed America, swallowing hard.

England looked at him from the corners of his eyes. "Well, this wasn't part of the plan. What now, genius?"

America just shrugged helplessly, backed against his friend, the two of them slowly turning, Blue helplessly wringing her hands next to them. The circle of maddened turtles sneered, baring their teeth at the boys.

"Use your swords!" Blue shouted at them, trying her best to stay out of reach.

"Why is she always the smart one?" England wondered aloud, unsheathing his long steel weapon alongside America. With a unison shout, they attacked. Every Koopa in their reach was sliced away or stabbed Dead. 2P!England groaned, instantly knowing he was losing the battle.

England almost laughed as he fought, swinging his Sword left and right. "One little, two little, three little Koopas " SLASH, STAB. "Four little five little-" CRUNCH.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, tugging on his end of the Sword, the other end clenched between a Koopa's fearsome teeth. "Give it back!" They played tug of war until it snapped in half with a loud crack. England stared at the broken end sadly.

"Don't tell me ' WHAM ' that was your lucky Sword," grunted America, still beating off the beasts. England frowned angrily.

"No, but it was my favorite-agh! Get off!" He tried to shake himself free from a Koopa that had latched onto his lower arm, it's sharp teeth biting down hard. "AGH! America!"

At the same time, Blue screamed as a Koopa charged her way. Leaping over two more of the monsters, America slashed it away swiftly before it had a chance to get close. Blue sighed, relieved.

"Whoa!" The Koopa tugged on England's arm, dragging him down. He fell to the ground with a grunt, his eyes growing wide as the circle of what few monsters remained grew tighter around him. "Uh America?"

"Got ya!" His friend slashed the beasts away, and the hungry Koopa relented, releasing England's arm and retreating. America took his hand, grabbing the Girl's as well, and they ran to their freedom.

"Adios 2P!Englandino!" called England before he pushed Blue down the pipe and slid in himself.

"Ciao!" shouted America gleefully.

2P!England grumbled to himself. "I should never cut deals with boys."

"You should have been more careful," America admonished as the nurse cleaned and bandaged his friend.

"I'd like to see you try and fight off some crazy Koopas, without your lucky book and with only half your favorite Sword. OW!" he yelped. "That stings."

"Be a big boy, and you'll get a lolly," teased the nurse. England leered at America. "Looks like I've got a mother to pamper me-yeowch!"

"Will you be all right England?" asked Blue worriedly.

"Oh yeah," he boasted, flexing his bandaged arm. "I'm as strong as an ox! Oooh " He grunted painfully.

"And twice as stupid," mumbled America.

"Hey! I resent that!"

"Well maybe it would teach you to be more careful!" America retorted before storming from the room.

"Sheesh, what's eating him?" England muttered under his breath, clearly hurt.

"He he only cares for you, England," Blue began gently.

"Yeah, well, he has a funny way of showing it." The younger boy scowled at the back of the door sadly.

Silent, angry and hurtful stares were exchanged some nights later at supper. The Boys ate their meals glumly, still apparently mad with each other, while Blue nearly went insane after trying for days to reconcile them.

Finally, America cleared his throat. "Um, how is your arm doing?"

England grew strangely defensive and nervous about this subject, and he drew in his arms, thankful for his long sleevee. "It's fine," he answered curtly.

"Come on, England. I want to know."

"I said it's fine, isn't that good enough?"

America opened his mouth to shoot some sharp reply, but shut it quickly and decided against it. He really didn't want to start a war, but England was acting funny.

More moments of silence passed and the Girl broke it suddenly by slamming her spoon onto the table loudly.

"Would you two just please kiss and make up?" she cried.

England glanced at her, then back at his Friend.

"Sure."

"Whatever."

"Oh yeah, that's love," replied Storm sarcastically. "Of you two can't be civil, then-"

"Forget it, Blue. I'll save you the trouble." With those words, England left the table just after giving his friend a cold stare.

"My, he's moody this week," stated America as if noticing polished floors.

Blue threw up her hands in exasperation. "He's your Friend, not mine. That makes him your problem."

America watched his friend stalk up the stairs to his room, wishing he could get to the bottom of England's troubles without starting a riot.

England shut his door and locked it hurriedly, leaning his back against it. Closing his eyes, he wearily slid down along the massive plank of wood until he sat on the floor, knees drawn up to his chest. Sighing deeply, he opened his eyes, ridden with worry. In the safety of his own palace room, he slowly rolled up his sleeve. Carefully peeling back a corner of the white bandage, his face went pale.

The skin under the white cotton pad was scaly, the lightest shade of green imaginable. His face marred with a frown, he closed his eyes and pulled his sleeve back down, letting his head bang back against the door.

'You hate him, don't you?' England more deeply at the strange voice.

"No! I don't hate America! He's .just"

Sometimes you just want to kill him.

"No! Never!"

Come on, don't tell me you never think that way. Remember when he threw you in the pool to try and "teach" you swimming when you were a kid?

"Yeah, I do. But that's no reason to kill him!"

And when he put peanuts in your trail mix? You were allergic to peanuts.

"It it was an honest mistake."

No it wasn't. He was trying to kill you.

"No."

No what? Don't you sometimes wish he were dead?

"No!"

Yes you do. You're thinking it right now.

"I'm not-"

It would be so easy England. To kill America. KILL AMERICA.

England opened his eyes and put his hands over his ears, trying to shut out the voice.

KILL AMERICA...

England shut his eyes again, tightly this time. Soon, thought, he felt a strange exhaustion overtake him, his body relaxing slowly. When he opened his eyes again, they were glazed over, and he stared straight ahead, slowly losing control. KILL AMERICA.

"Kill America," he whispered, blinking lethargically.