(A/N) Hey, I'm here with a new Hetalia one-shot! Apologies for not updating 'Paint it, Red,' but I have a lot of complicated stuff going on, so yeah. That and a bit of writer's block, but I can overcome it.

This is the longest one-shot I have ever written, so this is an achievement for me. I worked hard on this one, so I hope you like it.

HUMAN NAMES ARE USED IN THIS STORY! If you're new to the series, or just unsure, they're here, though I think you'll be able to tell based on characters included, and clues in the story. But, just in case:

Feliciano - Italy

Alfred - America

Arthur - England

Anyway, no flames please, if you hate it, keep it to yourself. However, if you think it could be better, recommend improvements, as well as what was good, and what was bad.

DISCLAIMER - I do not own Hetalia, or its characters; it belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya

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BANG!

Another shot rang out, as a trio of high school boys were getting pursued by a madman for doing the most stupidest thing they had done in their lives.

One of the boys, Alfred, thought it would be a brilliant idea to sneak into a man's garden, and attempt to collect some roses for Arthur's mother's birthday, which was the next day. He didn't know what to get her, and called one of his friends, Feliciano, to help him out, as he was good at that sort of thing. Unfortunately, he brought Alfred along, who suggested to steal roses, after Feli said that roses were a good idea for a present.

Which is why they were in this mess to begin with. Why Arthur went along with it, he didn't know why; it sounded like a stupid idea to begin with.

"We're not losing him!" yelled Arthur, as he glanced behind him. He wasn't a very fast runner, so he was at the back, but was still relatively close to the other two. However, being in back made him an easy target; he knew that, but at the end of the day, it wasn't his fault.

It was Alfred's.

As they ran down the long, darkened street, they quickly turned a corner and entered an alley; which the man walked past after losing his breath. How the man didn't see them, they didn't know, but they were glad to be safe, even if it was for a little while.

"Is he gone?" whispered a shaky voice, which belonged to Feliciano. He was folding his arms tightly, and quivering.

It was freezing outside, since it was winter; but still, the cold temperature sent goosebumps all over. The boys could even see frost, as they talked to one another and breathed.

"I think so," replied Arthur, in a whisper, panting heavily. He clutched his chest with one hand, using the other to lean on the wall for support.

He was exhausted. He wanted this to end. Soon.

"Dudes, come on!" Alfred, the cause of this mess, suddenly yelled. "A villain never gives up! And we, as the -"

"Al, shut up!" the other two yelled in a hushed tone. He was going to continue, but Arthur put his hand over his mouth. The last thing they wanted was to be found.

Trying to concentrate on finding a way out, Arthur glanced around frantically, hoping to see a sizable hole they could crawl through, or an open window they could climb into. The alley had this eerie feel about it, and not just because it was dark outside. The only source of light was a streetlight that flickered, and there were a few bins lying on their sides and a few standing next to heaps of rubbish. Smoke was also coming out of chimneys, meaning they were in between houses. So why hadn't anyone come out running to save them, or call the police?

Suddenly, footsteps were heard approaching them, getting louder by the second.

No.

"Arthur, I hear something," Feliciano cried, still keeping his voice hushed. A tear started to roll down his cheek, which was what Arthur felt like doing. Crying. Apparently, crying was for babies, that was what his mother told him anyway, so Arthur didn't do it.

He also had to be strong, for his friends, for his family, and for his own life for that matter.

Shortly after, a cocking of a gun was heard, causing the trio's blood to run cold, and heart to skip a beat.

"Artie!" Alfred yelled, in a hushed tone for once. It was unusual, but he sounded generally frightened; he never showed fear, even in the most horrifying of circumstances. Maybe, because he was faced with a real die, or die situation.

"I found ya boys, come out and take ya punishment like men!"

Stepping out of the shadows was an overweight, middle aged man; with a stained white vest, ripped jeans, and worn brown combat boots. A faded green cap covered his greying hair, and a shotgun was aimed at the three boys, who shook in fear and hoplessness.

"Alright, so who's goin' first?" He aimed the gun at Alfred, who had the roses gripped tightly in his hands; they were starting to snap. "Showin' off stolen property, eh? Doesn't belong to ya, does it, kid? Them roses belong to me, you stole 'em. Now, you're gonna face harsh punishment, very harsh punishment."

No.

Alfred was going to get shot, wasn't he? Sure, he came up with the stupid idea, but he didn't have to die for it. As annoying as he was, Arthur wouldn't be able to live with himself if he just stood there, and did nothing to help.

No matter the outcome, it would be worth it. Hopefully. In the end, trying doesn't hurt.

"No!" Arthur yelled, stepping in front of Alfred, body in a star shape to protect him if anything were to happen. "We may have been wankers, and stole from your garden, and I understand why you're mad. But it's not worth murdering a bunch of kids over!"

"Stand aside, or do ya wanna die first?"

"Listen to me! We'll replace your roses, help you tend to your garden, or whatever you want. Just don't kill us, it's not worth it."

The man raised an eyebrow, and looked as if he was considering the offer. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. However, it was too soon, as the man scoffed and shot the blonde in the stomach.

Blood spewing from his mouth, and staining his green jumper, he fell to his knees. His vision started to blur, and the sound around him started to echo and grow faint. He could hear Feliciano cry for him, Alfred insulting the armed man, with enough curse-words to fuel a fire, and the man's venomous laugh.

The blonde brit fell to the ground, and saw Alfred drop the now snapped roses on the ground, and attack the man. He attempted to grab his gun, causing the man to pull the trigger, and fire it into the sky.

"You filthy rat!" yelled the man, as he kneed Alfred in the stomach. Getting ready to aim, he smirked as he looked at the American boy, who's face was scrunched up in pain.

Before he could fire, Feliciano made a grab for the gun, while sobbing hysterically. This caused the man to fire at an upstairs window, shattering it to pieces.

"That was my last bullet, ya little shit!" The man growled, as he grabbed Feli by the neck and pushed him to the ground. He laughed at the pathetic boy, as he tried to breathe. As he squeezed tighter, the Italian's face started to turn blue, and his eyes struggled to stay open.

Scared for the boy's life, Alfred grabbed the man's shirt and pulled him down, making him let go of Feli. "Run!" he yelled, as Feli stood and ran, while coughing and gasping for air.

"Get off!" The man yelled, as he elbowed Alfred in the face, causing his nose to bleed, and ran after Feliciano, who had ran around a corner. Sadly, he didn't get far, as he heard his screams of pain, and tortuous cries, while sounds of punches echoed.

As the cries started to fade, he looked over at Arthur, who was lying in a puddle of his own blood. He slept soundly, although he had to wonder how he could sleep without breathing; Alfred thought he'd make a note to ask when he woke up.

He had to stop kidding himself. He knew Artie would never wake up. And as a tear rolled down his eyes, Feli's cries had stopped, and sirens were heard.

"I'm sorry, guys," he whispered. "It was all my fault..."

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Yeah, my usual, someone dies at the end. I actually felt like crying while writing this, which is the first time I felt emotional while writing. Anyway, I don't know, this was meant to be a one-shot, but if you want this continuing, let me know. Improvements are appreciated, please tell me what I did right, wrong and how I can improve. If you would like, you could also favourite and follow this fic, as well as suggest ideas for future chapters, if I DO decide to continue it. It will be on COMPLETE status until I decide. R&R and thanks for reading!