This story is a collaboration, we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it.
Pandabaozi: Hello everyone! I've been in the Hetalia fandom for almost six years now, but this is the first time I've ever had enough guts to actually post some fanfiction for it ^^; I'm having an amazing time co-writing this with Iso, and I hope you enjoy all the fun ideas we've come up with for this fic! I personally have been wanting to write a long multi-chaptered fic like this for awhile, and I'm super thankful for all of Iso's help ; w ;
Isobel: I've been writing hetalia fanfiction since 2012 I think, but this is the first time I get to contribute to the English fandom. I'm so glad I've got the chance of co-write this story with Jess,she's amazing and her ideas are so refreshing! also her help editing my terrible grammar is beyond words,I'm just so thankful, really, really thankful. Also, I'd like to assure you: This story is really something special.
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Suong Nguyen – Vietnam
Hou Fai Lam – Macau
Leon Kirkland - Hong Kong
.:one:.
Darkness, that's how it always starts.
Then, unbearable and indescribable noises fill the air.
The piercing wetness of pouring rain.
The biting cold.
Chaos.
A child's cry echoes audibly as a paralyzing fear overwhelms his senses.
Two horrid sounds followed by the din of screams and panic.
The hazy vision of a wall made from fire, crowned with smoke, reeking with the stench of terror.
The image becomes clearer as everything suddenly halts in a deathly silence.
A pair of wide, frightened gold eyes stare blankly into his own, frozen forever, stained with a stream of tears.
A soft, kind, yet sad voice calls from behind as a warm hand grips his right; the figure before him lies broken, a near mirror image of himself. A flood of questions invade his mind as confusion and horror collide together and become one.
There is a brief calm in the middle of the chaos, as he tightly squeezes the cold, small hand in his left. A mixture of sadness and dread begins to course through his veins, but a gentle tug on his right hand causes the grip of his left to weaken, and slowly, the cold, small hand he once held falls lifelessly to the ground.
The world becomes blurry, the taste of salt stinging his lips, and then...
Then everything fades into darkness once again.
"Please don't forget to write up a short two-page summary on the assigned chapters," the professor reminded them, his large eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Papers will not be collected until before the final exam, however, there will be a peer driven discussion in next week's class and I will be keeping track of participation."
A chorus of zombie-like moans echoed throughout the lecture all as more than a few students rolled their eyes.
Hou Fai grimaced as he bookmarked the beginning and end of his required reading, hoping he'd be able to get the general idea through a quick skim. By the looks of the class, he guessed that less than half would even bother opening the heavy novel, much less actually read it. After adjusting his glasses, Hou Fai packed up his things and left the lecture hall, giving his professor a polite nod. The gesture went unnoticed however, as the man seemed to be in the middle of making a phone call.
Like always, the campus grounds were a deafening sea of students, some walking briskly to their next class while others loitered around benches and ash trays, complaining about life's daily annoyances to anyone who cared to listen. Hou Fai did his best to weave through the bodies, trying to reach the central plaza for a quick snack before his day's errands.
The university's main plaza was a large, open air food court, dotted with small stalls, plenty of seating, and shade. A large fountain decorated with cherubs and lions stood at its center; campus rumors claimed that drinking water from a 'pissing angel' before final exams would ensure a perfect score. Thankfully, Hou Fai had been doing just fine without having to sip any filthy recirculated water; however he'd be lying if he said he was never tempted. After looking around to see if there were any new places to eat, Hou Fai ultimately ended up falling in line for his usual café.
He noticed a small group of girls gathered near the fountain, gasps and applause erupting every few moments. Hou Fai, blessed with a height most could only dream of, looked over the crowd curiously as he stood in line, spotting a young man chatting excitedly with onlookers before reaching to a small, empty bowler hat.
"I said next!"
Startled, Hou Fai quickly walked to the front of the line, closing an empty gap that was previously occupied by three people. The girls by the fountain squealed and clapped just as he reached the counter, triggering a heavy sigh from the café's cashier, who looked to be a student himself.
"Geez, is that guy back again?"
"Which guy?" Hou Fai asked. "Ah, I'll have a hot jasmine tea and one cherry tart, please."
"Yeah yeah, sure thing," the cashier said dismissively, grabbing the pastry from the display and moving back to make the drink. "Lately some weird Romanian dude's been putting on little magic shows by the fountain hoping people will toss him some tips or gas money or something. I'm pretty sure the shit he's pulling isn't allowed, but as long as he keeps pulling in customers, I guess I can't complain too much. He's pretty annoying though."
"Well he seems quite popular with a certain clientele," Hou Fai grinned, handing over his money in exchange for the order. The cashier smirked.
"Ladies love magic tricks, what can I say?"
"'Thank you' would be a good start."
"...Yeah, I ain't that desperate for customers."
Hou Fai chuckled and took his change, leaving the coins as a tip.
"Thank you," he nodded, taking a bite from his pastry before making his way to his next destination.
.:.
Located to the far south of the campus, near a large parking structure, was the campus bookstore, a two story building housing every book any student could possibly need for their classes. Barring the usual groans and moans about inflated pricing, the store was generally well liked for the simple fact that it was always well stocked and offered frequent deals throughout the school year. Hou Fai had already bought all his required reading during the winter recess (you just couldn't beat online pricing), so his visit to the bookstore was rooted in more personal affairs.
As soon as he stepped into the store, Hou Fai was greeted with a winding line of impatient students, all seemingly carrying their weight in books. He stepped lightly through the crowd, excusing himself when necessary. After a bit of clever maneuvering and needless apologizing, he was finally able to reach the main part of the store, where books for every subject the university offered were lined neatly on shelves that stretched towards the ceiling. Hou Fai leisurely walked past the aisles, peeking into each one expectantly. A few browsing students were (understandably) a bit unnerved at his odd behavior.
Finally, he spotted his target near the back of the history section. Her name was Suong Nguyen, a recent graduate of the university who now worked at the campus bookstore while patiently waiting for her first 'real' job. Suong's face was hidden behind the tower of teetering books she was struggling to carry; however, Hou Fai instantly recognized the green ribbon securing her long ponytail. He adjusted the strap on his messenger bag before quickly moving to help.
"Busy day, Suong?" he smiled, taking a little more than half her stack.
The young Vietnamese woman turned a faint shade of pink before regarding the bespectacled student coolly, only giving a slight nod to thank him for lightening her load.
"Well, I can't complain; out loud, at least," she sighed, carefully sorting the books back into their proper shelves. "Someone had the brilliant idea of hosting a half off sale on the whole store for the first week of the semester. Of course, said genius is on holiday this week, which leaves lucky me to deal with…" Suong stifled another sigh and simply gestured to her surroundings.
"Well, if you ever need an extra hand or two, I'd be happy to help you after my classes."
"You're too kind, Hou Fai."
"It's no problem, Suong."
"No really, you're far too kind. Spend more time with Wang and unlearn some manners."
"Need I remind you that I already live with him?"
"Well, you aren't doing a very good job at letting him influence you then."
She straightened up and took the books Hou Fai had helped her carry, bringing them to another aisle before repeating the sorting process. Suong glanced back at him expectantly, waiting for him to change the subject. Surely he hadn't just dropped in to see how she was handling her first full shift as a bookstore clerk?
"So," she said finally, after several minutes of watching him simply smiling pleasantly at her. "Was there a reason you've come here to chat during the busiest time of the school year? I can't be that interesting to talk to, can I?"
"It can wait until you've finished," he assured her, though admittedly, he was starting to get a little impatient. "Unless you think that won't be anytime soon?"
"My shift isn't over for another five hours," she said flatly.
"Ah, in that case," Hou Fai chuckled, adjusting his glasses. "Yao would like to hold a meeting at his main restaurant after closing tonight. As far as I know, it will just be you and I…however, you know how Mr. Honda enjoys dropping in unannounced."
"I think it's more, he's in the room the whole time and we just never notice him until he speaks," Suong thought out loud, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "Regardless of his presence, you can tell Wang that I will be available to attend. …You wouldn't have any idea what this meeting will be about, would you?" she added, tilting her head slightly.
"If I had to chance a guess, I'd expect it to be our usual topic."
"Then I hope he's actually put forth some effort in taking our work schedules into consideration."
"Doubtful," Hou Fai said, shaking his head. "But there isn't any harm in continuing to hope."
"I just don't know how many more times I can call out sick before my manager insists on checking me into the ICU," she muttered irritably. "That is, if he doesn't just fire me."
"Perhaps he can be a future discussion topic?"
Suong hid a smile and gave the tall man an amused look before pushing her cart towards another pile of abandoned books waiting to be returned to their rightful order.
"My pockets aren't that deep."
Arthur Kirkland looked down at his phone; it one of the latest models released to the public, loaded with all the newest technology and features anyone could ever need (until the next upgrade came, of course). However, he only used it once in a while to browse through some obvious clickbait articles, text the occasional acquaintance a bland birthday greeting, and of course, to receive calls.
Very, very important calls.
Many wouldn't guess that the scruffy-looking English professor had anything that even resembled a life, much less a flourishing not-so-legal business, beyond the campus walls. The way he held himself while he conducted his lectures made it hard to think of him as anything else than the professor of a dull subject who just happened to be very easy on the eyes. However, the last call hadn't been a work request from a new client, it had been for something even more important... something regarding the youngest of his children: Leon.
Arthur sighed and stared at the number displayed on the screen; he had just been told Leon was feeling unwell and looked completely exhausted, so he had been allowed to go home early.
He gathered his papers and belongings, placing them neatly inside his old-looking portfolio before pulling on his jacket. It was made of brown wool and polyester with green velvet patches sewn onto the elbows; a classic. After double checking the room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, he grabbed his car keys and left to pick up Leon.
West Bridge was the kind of high school that didn't have much to offer when it came to being interesting. It was good in terms of academics, yet it wasn't as big as others in the area, and many of the students even considered the buildings to be dull; it looked just like any typical three story with plain brown walls and the occasional window. At least they had a gym, which lay on the opposite end of a nicely maintained field, though it wasn't used as much as it was supposed to; perhaps that's why everything looked so peculiarly in order. Even the cafeteria was boring; students were usually hard pressed when it came to picking out anything decent for lunch, but that was more likely due to the city's budget cuts more than anything.
Such a drab school wouldn't seem to be the sort of place for an upper class student to attend; however, the plain, unassuming facade was one of the main reasons Arthur had chosen to send his sons there.
Leon was waiting alone on a stone bench, his back pressed against the brick wall behind him. An oversized black hoodie with bright blue lining hid the teen's slim frame, and Arthur's worries were eased a touch upon seeing that, despite feeling unwell, he was at least warm.
A large set of headphones were placed over his ears and as usual, Leon seemed completely oblivious to the world around him, his head nodding to the music. He glanced up as Arthur approached and quickly grabbed his backpack before heading towards the car and opening the door to the front seat.
"How are you feeling?" the blond asked, watching him closely; he did look a little paler than usual.
"A little better, but mostly not. Thanks for picking me up," Leon said, buckling his seatbelt and lying back into the seat. "Did you have to cancel any classes?"
"Just the evening one."
"Sorry."
"Don't be," Arthur said, shaking his head and pulling out from the school's driveway. "Hardly anyone ever shows up; the three that do can just get their assignments online." He glanced back at Leon, "Do you need any medicine before we go home? We can stop by the drug store for a bit if you'd like."
"I'll probably fine with some aspirin and a nap, to be honest," Leon mumbled, his eyes closed.
"Are you sure you're not running a fever?"
"I don't think so? The school nurse didn't say anything."
Leon shot up in his seat as the car abruptly swerved the left, his vision suddenly obscured by the Englishman's palm pressing against his face. His skin seemed to prickle with energy, though most of it was centered on his now very pink cheeks.
"DAD!"
"You feel warm," Arthur insisted, brushing back Leon's dark hair and placing his hand over the teen's forehead. "School nurses aren't really nurses poppet, you shouldn't believe everything they say; the most they're qualified for is giving you a plaster and lolly. We're stopping for a cold compress and some medicine."
"Both hands on the wheel!"
"And I'll make you some chicken soup," the blond added firmly. "I found a new recipe online."
"Okay cool, but you're seriously about to kill someone and you can't cook for me in jail," Leon said dully, pointing at an old woman hobbling down the crosswalk, completely unaware that she was about to be mowed down.
Arthur looked back to the road and immediately slammed on his brakes, causing the car to screech to a sudden halt. Both he and Leon lurched forward, their seatbelts the only things keeping their foreheads from smacking against the dashboard. The blond watched the elderly woman inch by safely, still blissfully oblivious. He glanced towards his son only to be met with a pair of very judgmental golden eyes staring back at him.
"…Be quiet."
"Uh huh."
That night the stars were clearly visible, twinkling brightly even amongst the crowded city's lights. The street was only illuminated by two dying street lamps, flickering every few minutes as they struggled not to break. A black and white "CLOSED" sign was displayed inside the windowsill of a small restaurant; the blinking neon words, "PANDA TO-GO" buzzed faintly on the building's store front. The sketchy atmosphere, however, had its purpose.
Behind the walls of the inviting, yet garish facade of the restaurant, the nightly cleanup had just ended. The wait staff had all finally left for the day, leaving freshly wiped tables and stacked chairs pushed neatly against the walls. Yao Wang was waiting in his office, located on the right side of the main dining area; a pile of papers and bills lay on his desk waiting to be reviewed, but that wouldn't be happening any time soon as Yao had no time for it. Perhaps having an actual assistant to take care of that sort of stuff would be nice; he would have to think about it later.
"…They're late."
He stifled a yawn, beads of tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Yao looked towards the clock on the wall with a pout and started balancing a pen on his upper lip, trying to beat a record only he could remember. He only hoped his guests wouldn't choose that particular moment to finally walk in; there was no way he'd be able to live down that kind of embarrasm-
"...What are you doing?" A soft, feminine voice said from somewhere above him.
Yao's heart skipped a beat when he realized he was no longer alone, the pen clattering loudly as it fell back onto his desk.
"Suong!" he gasped, pressing his right hand to his chest "I've told you not to do that!"
"I wasn't doing anything," she said calmly as she took a seat.
Yao glared for a moment, but knew he couldn't really do anything. It wasn't as if she was lying; moving without a sound was just something she seemed to do naturally.
That was why she was so important.
Just then, a jingle of bells near the back signaled that someone else had decided to join. Hou Fai quietly locked the door and glanced around before walking confidently towards Yao's office, adjusting his glasses just before entering.
"Finally!" Yao's blurted out in exasperation. "What in the world took you so long!? The house is just one street over! "
Hou Fai glanced at the clock; it was 10 minutes past the time they were set to meet.
"Just finishing up an English assignment."
Yao rolled his eyes, his lip curling slightly upon mention of the loathed subject.
With all expected persons finally accounted for, he began the meeting.
"Well, to start things off, I hope everyone's doing well tonight!" the eldest beamed, his sincere smile making the room feel a little less awkward. "My day was pretty nice! We launched a new menu item – it was one of my grandfather's most well-loved recipes. Of course, I had to strip it of all spice, soul, and flavor to make it more palatable to all the tasteless white devils crawling into my restaurant, but at least the name's the same, right? …Sort of."
"Sir, I hope you don't use that sort of language around your customers," Suong commented with a small frown.
"Oh no, of course not," Yao said reassuringly. "It's their lack of refined palettes that rakes in all the money! I mean, all I need to do is cover fried chicken in corn syrup and they'll give me five dollars for it! Westerners are amazing."
Hou Fai chuckled a bit at Suong's mortified expression. He didn't quite know whether she was alarmed at Yao's lack of respect for his customers, or the fact that people actually ate chicken covered in corn syrup.
"What about you Suong? Have you found a job yet?"
"I-I…!" she stammered, turning pink. "I'm looking! I've got a job at the campus bookstore while I search... Plus, isn't what we do a kind of job…it should count."
"It would if we had clients every day," Yao grumbled. "And I'd like to see you put any of this on a résumé."
"Speaking of clients; am I right in assuming that's why you've called us in?" Hou Fai asked, hoping that changing the subject would spare Suong of any further embarrassment.
"Of course it is; why else would I bother bringing in Suong?" Yao rudely replied. "I was just hoping to catch up with everyone before we started talking about this request."
"Sir, please," the lone woman sighed, "it's nearly midnight. Forgive my impatience, but I would like to hear about the assignment before we get into any more small talk."
"I agree with Suong," Hou Fai nodded. "If it isn't too much trouble, mister."
Yao pursed his lips, his cheeks puffing out. For a man in his mid-thirties, he acted rather childish.
"Well fine, since you two are so eager," he said finally, flipping through a black notebook. Yao took a red pen from his pocket and drew a circle near the top of the page he'd stopped on; he brought out a photo from his back pocket and placed it onto the book before turning both towards Hou Fai and Suong. "I'm sure you both recognize this man."
"That's…" Suong began, eyes widening. "He's a senator, isn't he?"
"And the current head of the Gifted Human Protections Office, correct?" Hou Fai continued, skimming over the notes scribbled on the page. "He's our next client?"
Yao shook his head.
"He is our next target."
Both Suong and Hou Fai paled, exchanging glances before turning back to Yao, noticeably disturbed.
"Sir, you can't be serious! After all he's done to protect us!"
"With all due respect, I don't think you've completely thought this through," Hou Fai said calmly, though his hands were balled into fists. "If we were to carry out this request, our safety in this city is no longer guaranteed. For all we know, his replacement will make our conditions publicly known; it's been a hot topic in recent political debates."
"This city will be end up just like all the rest," Suong protested, on the brink of tears. "We'll be targeted, ostracized, branded as monsters and locked up!"
"Societal consequences aside, his estate is sure to be protected with every security measure imaginable. This may as well be a suicide mission. Had you even considered asking for our opinions prior to accepting this request?"
Yao shot Hou Fai a cold glare, signaling that he had crossed a line. The taller man bit his tongue and avoided Yao's eyes. Suong pressed her lips together as well, lest more words found their way out. She looked back to the notebook lying silently on Yao's desk, her mind still frantically trying to make sense of what they were now expected to do.
"See, this is why I wanted to start off asking how everyone's day was," Yao sighed. "And to answer your question, Hou Fai, as the head of Zhu Sha, I didn't think I needed any input from either of you. However, the next time an important client approaches me with a request, I'll be sure to tell them to hold on so I can consult with my subordinates."
Hou Fai bowed his head, muttering a half-hearted apology under his breath. He should have known better than to be shocked at Yao's lack of common sense when a large enough wad of bills was being held under his nose.
"…Besides," Yao mumbled, more to himself than the others. "They offered me something I couldn't pass on."
"What in the world could they have offered you that is worth more than our safety?" Suong asked incredulously. "And not only us, but the safety of everyone like us in the city!"
Yao turned to Hou Fai and held his gaze, as if daring him to look away again.
"…They know where he is, Hou Fai," he said shakily.
"Where…'he'? Who do you…?" Hou Fai looked back in confusion before his expression slowly changed into that of realization. "…What? Are you sure?"
"Our target has had regular dealings with information gatherers at the Cheshire Agency," Yao said quietly, never breaking contact with the younger man's eyes. "Our client is another government official who works in close contact with the target. In exchange for our services, they have offered to tell me the exact location of their headquarters in addition to our usual compensation prices. Do you understand now why I've agreed to take this request?"
Hou Fai's breath had become uneven as he strained to keep himself calm. The frantic beating of his heart thudded loudly in his ears as he carefully considered the information he had just been given. Despite the slowly building sense of dread, there was a faint spark of excitement.
"…I understand."
"What?" Suong asked, looking around in disbelief. "What on earth are you two talking about?"
"Suong, please listen to me," Hou Fai pleaded. "You have to trust us on this; if not Yao, then at least trust me. We need to do this."
"If it will ease your fears," Yao offered, taking a sheet from his desk drawer, "the client has also promised to keep our conditions confidential, should the senator's replacement choose to make those records public upon taking office. I've already made him sign the agreement; he is very aware of what I'm capable of, should the contract be breeched."
"No! I refuse to take any part in this! Accept all the monetary bribes and meaningless information you like; I will not be responsible for the persecution of thousands of people! I am done with Zhu Sha. I quit!"
Suong stood up angrily and turned to leave, however, Hou Fai quickly grabbed her wrist, his grip tight. She stared at his hand for a moment before attempting to pull away. The younger man looked up at her, his gold eyes glowing a faint orange in the office's low light.
"You can't."
.:.
Thanks for reading! your review and feedback is highly appreciated!