In The Name Of Science

Summary: The countries are put on a small, remote island, left to fend for themselves, in the hopes that just as they are affected by the economy, the economy can be affected by them. Will they succeed in thriving and establishing trade, or will this whole experiment be pointless – or even make things worse? Of course, this is all in the name of science.

Multiple pairings, including: Spamano, GerIta, USUK, PruCan, Giripan, Rochu and AusSwitz (I have no idea what their pairing name is, shoot me )

Jem: HAI GUYS! This is my first story in the Hetalia fandom, and also my first collab, with my good friend Meso the Hanyu, author of Apocalyptic!

Basically, Mouse had this wicked-cool idea, and after discussing it a bit, we ended up with this awesome (tm Prussia) story plot. MWAHAHA!
Be warned that the current economic situation plays a prominent part in this storyline. We're doing all the research we can, but there may be some inconsistencies. It's hard to research on the Internet and I'm getting all the info from my (slightly suspicious) parents, so...

Anyway, read on for the epicness...

Rated: T, for language, boy love, and such things. Also, little kidlings probably won't understand ANYTHING about the economic referances.

=X=

The meeting had an overall miserable atmosphere.

This was not quite a full world meeting; the majority was made up of nations in the European Union, with other countries including America, Canada, Japan, China and Russia. Almost everyone looked ill, with dark circles under their slightly bloodshot eyes, pained expressions on their faces, a few looking flushed with fever. Greece was dozing as usual, but he looked the worst of all; unhealthily pale, breathing ragged, and even in sleep his features did not drop from a look of distress.

"Veh, fratello?" Veneziano turned to his brother. "Why is everyone so sad?"

This sentence was ended by a small sneeze and small moan of discomfort.

"It's the stupid economy." Romano replied, coughing heavily. "The euro is collapsing, a load of people are in debt, and everyone's currencies are deflating – everyone has been affected." He coughed again and sighed, putting a hand to his forehead. "Greece is in loads of debt – so are we. We and Spain have to borrow loads, and no-one wants to lend. Even outside of Europe, the situation isn't good – America is suffering, and Japan. China is probably the best off of us all."

"Ahh, my poor Romano. You look really ill, Roma~." Spain's voice was heard before he himself was seen by the Italian.

"You don't look much better." He grumbled back.

Spain wrapped his arms around Romano, but the smallest didn't struggle, opting instead to simply lean into his former boss and let him take a majority of his weight. He breathed a heavy sigh, which may have been mistaken as relief but, he would defend, was simply exhaustion.

"Ciao, fratello Spagna." Veneziano greeted the older country quietly.

"Hola, Feli. You are both ill; it is not too bad, I hope?"

"Romano is taking the worst of it, Rome is his." Veneziano clarified, looking sadly at his brother, who seemed to now be trying to sleep in Spain's arms. Now that they were a unified country, they only had one capital; Rome. However, because even when they had been split Rome had always been Romano's capital, while Veneziano's had been Venice, the older brother was far more connected to it, making his connection to the state of the country overall stronger too. It wasn't helped by the fact that South Italy still wasn't as rich as the Northern half.

"At least it is me." Romano bit back, through it was half-hearted. "You'd never be able to handle it, idiota. It also means I get to be the one taken care of for once, huh?" he smirked a bit at Veneziano.

"Ah~, so sweet Roma."

"Get off me, pomadoro bastardo." The Italian pushed the Spaniard away from him, small smirk still in place.

"Still managing to be feisty. Ah~ Roma, mi poco di tomate~."

"Zitto, idiota. Tu mi fai sentire irritati."

"Me haces sentir el amor!"

"Sei stupido."

"Eres linda."

"Ti odio!"

"Te amo demasiado, Lovi~!"

"Bastardo! And don't call me Lovi." Romano huffed, face now red. Spain just chuckled and wrapped his arms around the Italian again, this time met with struggles and resistance. For a moment he wrestled playfully with the younger country, but the atmosphere was interrupted when Romano started coughing harshly again. Immediately serious, Spain let go of him to allow him breathing room.

"Veh~, fratello!" Veneziano cried out worriedly, moving quickly to his brother's side. Romano was bent almost double and his whole body shook with every cough, and he reached out the hand he wasn't covering his mouth with to grip his little brother for support. Eventually he made a huge gasp for breath and the coughing-fit resided, leaving Romano shaking and slightly dizzy.

"Are you okay, Roma?" Spain asked quietly.

"...The hell do you think, idiota?" Romano replied sharply, voice hoarse. He let out a short groan and shifted his weight, still holding onto Veneziano to support him upright, and now also taking hold of Spain.

"Sit down, fratello." Veneziano instructed, voice laced with concern. Romano nodded wordlessly and slowly lowered himself down with the help of both other countries. He leant against the wall with a sigh.

"Why haven't they opened the conference room doors yet?" he asked, a slight hint of irritation creeping into his tone.

"I'm not sure... Not everyone is here right now; I think we're all a bit early." Spain replied. He looked down again at the brunette. "Shall I go and get you some water?"

"...Si." Romano said eventually. "...Grazie..."

"No hay problema, mi amor." The Spaniard smiled, before he disappeared down the corridor to find Romano's drink. Veneziano watched him leave, then sat next to Romano, nestling into his side. Romano lifted an arm and allowed his younger brother closer, wrapping the arm around his shoulders.

"Will everything turn out okay, fratello?" he asked in a whisper, nuzzling his face into Romano's neck.

Romano paused a moment before replying. "I'm sure it will, Feli. I'm sure it will."

Veneziano gave a small cough of his own, reminding them both that he being affected as well.

"Don't worry, fratellino. We'll be fine." Romano assured him.

Veneziano nodded and pressed himself closer to his brother again. Romano rested his cheek on Veneziano's head, and closed his eyes.

~~::.::~~

When Spain came back with a plastic cup of water, he found the brothers asleep, still curled up against the wall together. He sat down opposite them, and Veneziano opened his eyes slightly.

"Hola, Feli."

"Ciao." Veneziano replied quietly. "Fratello fell asleep."

"Probably the best thing for him at the moment." Spain nodded, smiling kindly.

"If this gets bad..." Veneziano looked down. "I mean, if we get in really bad trouble; what'll happen?"

Spain sighed and searched the air, as if it would show him an answer.

"You see Greece?" he asked. Veneziano looked slightly further down the hallway they were sat in to where Greece was also sleeping against a wall. "He's in worse debt than you; and he's had riots and protests too. It's all getting really bad for him. Eventually he'll have to pull out of the euro zone and get his own currency back, and even then things might not get better for a while. Riots aren't fun."

Veneziano thought this over.

"I feel bad that Romano is taking the most of this. We're united now, it's not fair."

"I personally think he's doing it for you." Spain said gently. "He doesn't want anything to happen to you."

"I don't want anything to happen to him!"

"Ah~, but he is the eldest, so he gets the rites of protection." The Spaniard laughed. "Don't worry too much Feli. Romano's tough. And as long as he has you to help him a little bit, he'll be fine."

Veneziano smiled.

"Not to mention I'm not going anywhere, so he gets a bit of love from me too!" Spain announced with a sunny smile.

Veneziano laughed and relaxed back against his brother. Spain's face softened again.

"Sleep for a bit Feli. You need it too. Don't worry, I'll look after both of you." He manoeuvred his way between and behind the two, so that as well as the brothers leaning on each other, they also rested on his chest. He wrapped both arms around them. Veneziano smiled contentedly and laid his head down, eventually falling asleep again.

~~::.::~~

"No! I've told you, that won't work!" one man with frizzy blonde hair and a lab coat snapped.

"I'm telling you, it would solve everything!" the blonde's co-worker, a black haired man of Venezuelan descent argued.

"You're both stupid! How would you even create personifications for the countries regions anyway! We don't even know if they can reproduce." A third scientist, a red head, snapped irritably. "Sparky, Fidelio, just get back to work."

"Yes, Dr. Richards." The two recited and turned back to their writing pads, shooting ideas back and forth.

Doctor Patrick Richards sighed and walked away. Younger scientists helping the program his ass. Sure, young Sparky Taylor and Fidelio Covas were brilliant, but they were young. Their ideas were new but they wouldn't help the problem.

Dr. Richards entered his office and looked up at his young daughter, who was sitting happily at his desk with… a tank in front of her?

"Mary, what are you doing? And where's your older brother? I don't like the two of you being in the facility alone." Patrick asked half-heartedly, running his hands backwards through his hair.

Mary smiled brightly, twirling one of her blond pigtails around her finger. "Me and Johnny are doin' a 'speriment. Johnny went to the woods right outside and is making an, uhm, an enclosure. My hamster doesn't feel good and I wanna see if him livin' by himself might help." She responded cheerfully, young voice mangling her words.

"Mary, that's… That's brilliant!" A smile broke across the doctor's face as he picked up his squealing daughter and twirled her around. "Go get Jonathon, and your sister Sophia! You and them come meet me in Mr. Taylor's lab, okay?"

Mary smiled and bobbed her head. As soon as her father had put her down, the little girl went running off, her hamster forgotten on Patrick's desk.

When Dr. Richards re-entered the lab, a huge grin on his face and his three children following, Sparky couldn't help raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, doc?" the blond asked, an amused smile tugging at his mouth.

Dr. Richards straightened up and took on a more professional expression. "Gentleman, I have an idea."

"Yes, doctor?" Fidelio asked, Sparky's contagious smile tugging his own lips.

"Sophia." Dr. Richards motioned to his oldest daughter.

The girl, whose hair was a few shades lighter than her fathers, took an obligatory step forward. "Jonathon thought of the concept, father and I tweaked it. The nations are collapsing because of poor economy. Economy, essentially, exists because of the selling and buying of goods. What if we put them somewhere where they might only buy and sell amongst one another? Leave the well nations, like most of Africa, to their devices and allow the sick ones to live like tribal people. Perhaps if they can get a steady trade going, their people will be affected." The high school student went on in a monologue.

Sparky and Fidelio both blinked before wide smiles broke across their faces.

"This is an island, and it's all forest except for the facility…" Sparky began.

"There are edible foods and fresh water streams…" Fidelio continued.

"Sir! You and your children are genius!" Sparky cried after a moment, a delighted smile on his face.

"I'll start on the details immediately." Fidelio said, in an obviously much brighter mood.

=X=

A/N: END OF AWESOME EPICNESS!

Translations:

Zitto, idiota. Tu mi fai sentire irritati. (Italian) = Shut up, idiot. You make me feel irritated.

Me haces sentir el amor! (Spanish) = You make me feel love!

Sei stupido. (Italian) = You're stupid.

Eres linda. (Spanish) = You're cute.

Ti odio! (Italian) = I hate you!

Te amo demasiado, Lovi~! (Spanish) = I love you too, Lovi~!

~:.:~

Jem: Well, I personally think that turned out pretty well. We worked together, but for the most part Mouse came up with the scientist's theory (it was scary because I'd actually just thought the same thing...)

Well, please review, y'know, we love feedback, any mistakes in information or language translation, please let us know! Constructive criticism is good! Please no hating though -.- Okay then, ciao from me~

Mouse: It was a pleasure working on this and I hope you lovely readers enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it/collaborating on it with Jem. And for those who don't know, Jem and I are brain twins that just so happen to live on totally different continents. But review, my lovelies. Inspire our creativity.