Hello, everyone! Welcome to my first Hetalia fic! I am back from the dead, making my triumphant return! Romance, action, intrigue, betrayal! All wrapped up in one! Well, maybe that's just a bit glorified.
I posted this a while ago on Google + (I know, weird right? Who uses G+?) but I was rather disappointed with the lack of response (Really? On a desolate social media site? Who'd have thought?) so I decided to post here! Planning on weekly updates every Wednesday, but we'll see how that goes ^^'
Quick disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, the NYPD, or the cover photo used.
Without further ado, I present to you: The Freedom Phantom!
Chapter 1: The One that Got Away
Arthur's phone rang. To anyone else, that could mean any number of things; a family member was sick or won an accolade, a promotion at work, a lover informing of their tardiness, or even a friend calling to say "Hi". But Arthur's phone only rang for one reason: a crime was being committed somewhere in New York City.
"Detective Kirkland," he stated as he answered his phone.
"Sir, we've received word that he's attempting to strike the East Bank," replied the voice on the other end. Arthur's eyes widened.
"Wait, you mean him? The bloody 'Freedom Phantom'?"
"Yes, sir."
Arthur smirked. "I'm on my way." Arthur quickly rushed to his police car and turned the key in the ignition. As he pushed his foot on the gas pedal, he couldn't fight the excitement that rose within him.
The Freedom Phantom had been striking banks around town for almost a month now. He was a very skilled thief and hacker, as he was able to avoid the NYPD on five separate occasions. Each time, he'd gotten just a bit sloppier, but he'd always managed to get away. For every single time, Arthur had been the first on the scene, and always just a bit too slow. He'd never even seen the thief. But this time was going to be different. Arthur was sure that this time would be the burglar's last, and he would be safely locked away where he belonged.
Finally, Arthur arrived at the East Bank. Pistol in hand, he quickly rushed in to the safe room in the back. He swiftly kicked down the door. He wasn't one for grand entrances, but he knew it would be the fastest way in. Besides, the sound would probably startle anyone, and hopefully, the thief as well.
"NYPD!" he yelled. He glared into the room, quickly inspecting his surroundings. Next to the safe kneeled a man wearing all black clothes and a ski mask. He jumped into a standing position, completely taken by surprise. The cops weren't supposed to show up so fast.
"Caught you, you little thief! Put your hands in the air!" The man placed his hands on his head, and slowly turned around to face the detective. He had a look of embarrassment on his face, and a hint of frustration, as well. Clearly Arthur was a better policeman than the thief anticipated.
"Howdy, Mr. Policeman! As you can see, I'm very busy here, so if you wouldn't mind putting down your gun and walking away, that would be fantastic," greeted the thief. For a man who was caught red-handed, he was acting surprisingly calm.
Arthur would have none of that.
"I don't think so." He pulled out his handcuffs and dove at the criminal. Arthur's attempt failed, however, when the thief sidestepped and drew his own gun.
"Tsk, tsk! Sorry, Mr. Policeman, but I don't intend to get caught today."
"Put down the gun! Resistance will only make your prison time longer!" Arthur shouted. This was not the first time someone resisted the police so openly, but it was the first time that anyone defied Detective Kirkland. Perhaps the criminal simply didn't know who he was. "You do realize you're defying not only the law, but also the will of Detective Kirkland?"
Freedom Phantom could've cared less who he was defying, but he needed to keep the policeman occupied while he thought of an escape plan.
"Detective Kirkland? Aren't you the one who worked for the Scotland Yard in London?"
"So what if I am? For God's sake, put down your weapon!" It was at times like this that Arthur wished he had backup. Security in numbers, as they say. He knew the thief would've been much more agreeable if he wasn't the only policeman there. Speaking of which, wasn't back up supposed to be here by now? Where the hell were they?
"Ooh! So if you worked for the Scotland Yard, does that make you a constable?" he asked, now a bit intrigued. He had noticed the policeman's thick, British accent from the moment he first spoke. But now he had a backstory: the constable turned NYPD. What was the story behind that? He simply had to find out.
"Honestly, this is rubbish. Put down your bloody gun! The more you defy the law, the longer your prison time will be."
Freedom Phantom sighed. He wasn't going to learn anything, especially not like this. He had to think of a new strategy, and focus on getting out before back up arrived. He looked at the policeman, straight into his eyes, and saw an alluring green shade. An idea suddenly came to him. Although it was a long shot, it would be extremely effective if it worked.
"I get it! You won't tell me anything until I tell you something! How's about we start with introductions?"
Arthur stared at him in utter confusion. What was this guy thinking?
"Okay, then. I'll go first. Name's Alfred. Favorite food: Hamburgers. Hobbies include guns, blowing stuff up, and baseball. Your turn, Constable!"
Arthur then realized that this was a great way to keep the criminal talking. For a moment, he contemplated making up information to tell the thief, but then realized he would be in custody soon enough, so it wouldn't matter.
"I'm Detective Kirkland of the NYPD. Scones would be my favorite food, and my hobbies are cooking and locking up criminals like you."
"Criminal!?" he exclaimed in mock surprise, "That's harsh! You're supposed to be nice to people you just meet! You're not very good at this, are you?" he teased.
"I'm sick of all your rubbish! The rest of my squadron will be here any minute, and your future is looking none the brighter!" Alfred realized that he was absolutely right. Backup was coming soon, and he needed to get out while there was only one obstacle. Remembering his plan, he stared into the policeman's eyes once again. He looked for a long time, realizing that he almost got sucked right in. Time to test his theory, and hopefully make an escape.
"You know, Constable, you have very beautiful eyes." Arthur's eyes widened in shock as a light blush spread across his face. He quickly narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on his pistol, but the thief saw all that he needed to know how to escape.
"It's hard to find men like you, Constable. Men with a good head on their shoulders, but also incredibly handsome," He smiled a big grin and winked.
Arthur's heart skipped a beat as his face turned a dark shade of red. This thief was annoying before, but now he was really getting under Arthur's skin.
"Th-that's enough out of you! One more word and I'll-" Arthur was interrupted by the thief stepping forward, right in front of him. Close enough that if either so much as leaned inward, they could have been kissing.
"Or you'll what, Mr. Constable?" he asked, breath reaching Arthur's ears with a shiver down his spine. A coy smile appeared on Freedom Phantom's face, while an even deeper blush appeared on Arthur's. In all his years of crime fighting, he'd never once been in a situation where he couldn't find his words. Until now. He stared at the thief, whose face was hidden behind a ski mask. But he could see stunning blue eyes, blue eyes that twinkled with playfulness and excitement. For a moment, Arthur stood there staring at those blue eyes, completely entranced.
Eventually, however, the moment ended. "Sadly, it's time for me to escape. See you later!" The thief turned on his heels and dashed out through the door that Arthur had previously busted down. Before Arthur even had a chance to react, he was gone.
He realized some time afterwards that the thief didn't even take any money, and that he'd been so close to catching him. So close, in fact, they had almost…
Arthur mentally slapped himself. Whoever this burglar was, and whatever stupid name he decided to call himself, it did not change the fact that he was a criminal. Arthur sighed. He had almost caught the fiend. Now instead of five successful escapes, the thief had six.
As Arthur left the bank, he saw what caused his back up the long delay. A hideous, red, white, and blue car had crashed in the middle of the intersection, causing all traffic both ways to effectively halt. As he scanned the area, he saw two police members from his division: Eliza Hedervary and Roderich Edelstein. A fiery Hungarian girl, and a classy Austrian, respectively.
"Herdervary. Edelstein. What's going on here?" He asked, approaching the catastrophe. They both turned around, with puzzlement on their faces.
"It's so strange," Eliza said "We've inspected the whole car, but can't find anything wrong."
"It's almost as if… this accident was staged," Roderich speculated while jotting notes in his notebook. Someone would have to write their police report, and Eliza certainly wasn't going to do it.
"Staged? But why?" asked Arthur. If this "accident" hadn't happened, Arthur could've caught the thief. That irritating, alluring thief. The one who was supposed to be in custody by now, but was instead probably off planning his next attack.
"We're not certain, but Eliza and I plan to look more into this," Roderich explained before he continued jotting notes.
"Hey! Who said you could decide what I do?" Eliza shouted. She didn't take well to anyone telling her what to do.
"Well, we're partners, aren't we?" Roderich asked, not looking up from his notebook. Eliza rolled her eyes, but released a small sigh of relief. Roderich said it as though it were obvious, as though doing something without your partner was obscene. It ticked Arthur off.
"I'll leave you to it. I'm heading back to the station," he scoffed, a bit more rudely than he had intended. He turned and briskly walked away.
It wasn't that he hated them. On the contrary, Eliza and Roderich were both reliable police members, and more often than not he was grateful for their assistance. But Arthur was the only policeman without a partner. That may have been his choice entirely, but it still irked him.
So far, today had been incredibly frustrating. He missed a criminal for the sixth time. Someone had purposefully caused an accident. He was reminded that he was the only cop in the NYPD without a partner. And, worst of all, the person who should've been off his mind was now invading all his thoughts. Freedom Phantom had been in the back of his mind ever since he first slipped away, but now he was everywhere. The playfulness in his eyes, the excitement – why would someone like that be committing federal crimes?
Arthur sighed. The only way to find out was to wait until he struck again. Next time, he would get answers. And maybe even a new prisoner.